Orchestra of Wolves
by LifeofaWarLord
Summary: Lotti Kappel is the last surviving member of Humanity's underground cities. She is arranged to be moved by her father, in the hopes she can become a member of the Military Police. Lotti has plans of her own, however, as she decides to join the Survey Corps.
1. Chapter 1: The Fall

**For all intents in purposes, I've changed the ages. The members of the 104th Trainees Squad are now (for this story)14-16 around the fall of the Shiganshina District, and 18-20 upon their application to their respective Military Branch. **

* * *

Lotti knew what would come once Shiganshina fell.

She could see it in the faces of her people, as they heard the crashing and explosions overhead. Underground, they were safe from the gnawing teeth and death that the Titans brought with them as they trotted into the city. But Titans would fall eventually, as the blades of the military slashed through them and cannon fire obliterated whatever was left.

That didn't mean that they could continue as if the city of Shiganshina, and their livelihood, wasn't being decimated above them. The underground mining city of Bavaria was one of three.

A group of people, over 200 years ago, saw an opportunity to make a living provided the coal and gems needed to keep humanity running. They each set up under the streets of Shiganshina District, Trost, and Stohess District. For a long time, they thrived. The wealthy enjoyed jewels they had never seen before, and the cities of humanity advanced. 130 years later, they struck oil, it began the chain of events that led to the creation of the vital 3-D maneuver gear.

Just 30 years later, Wall Maria was breached. Bavaria, the city nearest to all the resources, was spared the anger and spite of other people within the walls. Instead, the underground towns within Wall Rose and Wall Sina were bombed, the people either killed or sold into slavery, leaving Bavaria to transport their cargo alone to all corners of the 3 walls. The towns leader,and Lotti's father, Tobias Kappel understood that this would be the first and last time they would be spared should the walls be breached again.

Though the city of Bavaria had thrived for another 100 years, it was known that, eventually, it would fall. With the other two wiped from the face of existence, they were essentially forced to carry on the work necessary until somebody could above ground, or the walls were breached again. If Shiganshina fell, their food supply would fall as well. Either way, for "the betterment of humanity", they would ultimately be dealt with. So, the Kappel family, the rulers of the city for as long as it had been there, worked tirelessly teaching the children of the underground how to fight, how to be soldiers, should those above them decide to try to wipe out the last city.

Lotti thought of all of this when the first rumor swept through the town of the Colossal Titan appearing and breaching the wall as she walked home with her groceries in hand.

She was 15, and looked every bit like the mother who died to bring her into the world. Like the majority of people in the City of Bavaria, she had warm brown skin, which the sun made glow with copper on the rare occasion she went above ground to transport. Her hair was a massive mop top of black curls, blonde in some places she had tried to lighten herself. Her face was still very child like, splashed in freckles, with a wide but small and perky nose, big "funny looking" eyes- one dark brown, one hazel-framed by thick lashes, and a big pouty mouth that seemed permanently twisted into a frown.

She was small and slim, barely reaching 5"0, but she made up for it in strength and with heart. She'd been training for the day that her city would fall under siege since she was 6, and was nothing short of merciless.

This, of course, led her to be with few friends, and often lonely.

She had gotten used to it though, and was uncomfortable with the attention she came to receive upon puberty.

The first murmurs of the rumor were ignored, sparking some fear but generally nothing serious. It wasn't until They heard the crashing of the wall and the faint screams high above them.

Once the Titans were heard to entering into the city, it seemed Bavaria stopped moving. Work stopped, children were rushed inside, and it seemed that the air had become too dense to breath in, leaving the people in vacuüm of silence.

Lotti watched this from the hill of her yard, calmly. Her home was the highest in the town, the closest to the barrier between Shiganshina and Bavaria. She could hear everything as if it were in the next room, so close yet so far away. She, along with all the others, listened for what felt like an eternity. While everyone else seemed frozen, her father had appeared from inside their home.

He was a big man, an intimidating man.

He was also Lotti's best friend, and sometimes she felt he felt the same way. He was dark, darker than Lotti or her mother, and his skin gnarled with scars, but the rippling muscle underneath proved that those scars were hard-earned. Lotti always thought he looked like he knew too much, knew everything in the world that would hurt him. she guessed that, as their Leader, he had to know these things. A small part of her was relieved, thinking that the Shiganshina breach would save her from knowing these things too. He focused his black eyes first on her, then on the hundreds of people below, who stood outside their homes, gazing at the stone ceiling as if the Colossal Titan had come down himself to break a hole in it and unleash Titan and human wrath alike.

She knew, as he knew, that many of them would die. Others would disappear on the Black Market. She had been up plenty of times to know there was nobody who looked like them up there. There were no dreads, intricate braiding. There was nobody who spoke with rolled R's, or with skin like hers. Her family had been the head of the mining company all those centuries ago, and people who looked and spoke like them followed suit underground. They were all that was left. There were countless horror stories of those who were sold illegally, and although never confirmed as true, it sent a shiver down Lotti (and her father's) spine to think about. She wondered where she'd end up, if she'd be another horror story.

She watched her father as he looked at his city with furrowed brows, before he turned back to look at her.

"Lotti," he said, simply. As she looked at him, it seemed he had aged 50 years in the span of minutes. She knew that she was his first priority, but she was never his only priority, and he'd die defending his city. She continued to look, waiting for an order.

"You won't have to worry, Little One. When they come, someone will come to take you to safety. He is a friend, and he will protect you."

Her mouth dropped open, hurt. She had wanted to fight alongside her father, and her people. She didn't want to be whisked away like a coward, never knowing what happened to the only people she knew and loved.

"Dad, but I've ben training for this!" she whined. While afraid, she felt safer here fighting than living above ground."what's going to happen to you guys if I'm not here?! What if-"

"You are already aware of the fate of this town," he said, cutting her off. Which was true, but he was never one to spare feelings. Especially when he knew that the situation left no room for weakness." We need to survive. You are of noble blood, you carry our legacy. I can't afford to think of you dead or worse. We need to you to carry on and fight in different ways."

It had gotten quiet a long time ago above ground, they didn't have much time, and Tobias knew this. He looked in his daughter, his only child's face, and wiped her tears. She was more afraid to live in an unfamiliar world than to die with the familiar one. He knew she could make it, and survive with her spirit intact.

The city below was growing shiftless, and he knew it would be time to go down to begin plans.

"The person who is coming for you is Military. You'll know him when he comes to you. He will take care of you, and continue you training when I and this place are gone." she was really crying now, and it broke his heart. He could afford her no comfort.

"Lotti, listen," he sighed, shaking her,"I want you to join the Military. I want you to be armed with the skills to protect yourself from Titans and people alike. I want you to go into the innermost wall. Join the Military police, and be safe. You will be treated as you should be, as a noble and as an officer for Humanity. But survive with this in mind : your family died here, and while you will be safe, you will be alone. Always be observant, and always trust your instincts before you trust in another's." he said, and as he hugged her for the last time, the first explosion happened closest to the city entrance.

There was so much he wanted to say to his sobbing daughter. He saw so much potential and energy in her, and he was so happy to have seen her grow into the woman she was becoming. She was one of his only friends, and he regarded her as an equal. She was his pride and joy, and she made him happier than any sons. He wished he could see her married, hold his grandchildren, and see her lead his people as he had. He wished he was brave enough to leave with her.

As people screamed below, he could only pat her head and kiss her face.

"I'm so proud of you."

And he ran towards town, leaving Lotti to cry up on the hill as she watched men from above ground ride in on horses. She was alone, completely and utterly so. She was abandoning her people, she wondered if they hated her. She wanted to fight, but when she tried to stand she fell on her back sobbing. She cried for what felt like hours as her people screamed and fire and explosions took her home.

she finally collected her self when she saw 3 men running towards her home. She could hide in the house, but they'd find her eventually. Her father hadn't told her where to go to wait for this Military person, and now she was frustrated. Her father left her to die alone instead of alongside him. She stood anyway though, ready to fight. the men were all dressed in Green Cloaks and boots, unlike most villagers, that much she could see from a distance.

The leader was bald, with a furrowed forehead and a mustache that made him look like the small dogs she sometimes saw. The other was a blonde woman, and the third was a man with dark hair. As they got closer she could see the outfit that she saw the soldiers above wore, and she relaxed a little. She walked to them, but kept her guard up, stopping at the end of her homes road and waiting for them to get off their horses and come to her. There were screams below, though Lotti had to strain to hear them over the flames. She looked to the city entrance to see women and children being skirted through by strange men. Some were crying, others were reserved to their fate, and others seemed relieved to live.

Although the city was aflame, she saw no bodies strewn about the streets, only people being forced knew townspeople from above had gotten here through the tunnels, just as they did, but where were they taking them, and why?

She looked back to see all three had gotten off their horses, but only the bald man came forward. He wasn't much taller than she was, with squinty yellow eyes. He extended a hand towards her.

"Tobias was a friend of mine," he stated simply, still holding his hand out,"I assume you already know why my colleagues and I have come?" Lotti did not speak to him, just looked. She was afraid, and did not trust him just yet.

But she took his hand. She knew he was who was going to take care of her, but it didn't mean she couldn't feel afraid of the situation. There was an odd relief she felt when she took his hand as well, a relief she would forever be ashamed of.

"Take me to wherever it is my father intended me to go." He smiled, and she realized she had seen him down here before, talking to her father and laughing with him. He led her down the path to his horse, and pulled a cloak like his out of a pack on the side of his horse.

"I am Dot Pixis," he said, wrapping it around her dress,"You can call me whatever you'd like. I promised your father that I'd take you as my ward. I've arranged for your information to be added to the Enlistment Archives, and I will provide for you until you are taken into training in a years time. I will keep my eye on you as you train, and you will always be able to come to me once you graduate, for anything."

He hoisted her onto his horse, and gave the signal to ride off. As they rode through the streets, she didn't see anyone,living or dead. A wave of relief fell over her and she felt herself smile, despite the 3 officers somber looks.

"Have they taken my people into Wall Rose?" she asked, but fell silent and pleased to see people from her town being ushered through the tunnels. Pixis turned to her, signifying she needed to be quiet, then he pulled her cloak over her face. They entered the tunnel, to see a huge crowd of people. Most were angry men from above ground, as well as her own people. Pixis and the two officers rode through the tunnel way like lightning.

Lotti held on tightly, but once she got used to being on horseback, was able to look around.

It was then she realized they were riding out so quickly not to make haste, but to keep her from seeing the horrors around her. The tunnel was narrow, but men still crowded around families, breaking the women and children apart from their husbands and their brothers. There was more screaming now than there had ever been when the explosions started. She felt the bile boil in her stomach men pushed women to the floor and took her, one after the other. Children were taken away, ushered down dark tunnels to ultimately be sold.

Soon they came upon the tunnel opening that led into Shiganshina, a route she'd traveled dozens of times. People from above ground ushered Bavarians outside, despite protests and screams.

Something in her told her to look away, but she couldn't. Among those people were father, big and were too many people at the entryway to ride through, so Pixis' movement came to a halt. Lotti watched, as her people were herded up the stairs like animals,and the big eyes and mouths of Titans herded the exit. She felt her heart stop, and drop into the pit of her stomach.

She moved before she knew it, but the blonde woman beside Pixis grabbed her. The roof over the entryway stairs was broken, and Lotti looked into the terrifying, smiling faces that had brought the fall of two cities upon her. Their arms flailed to pick up the screaming townspeople, and Lotti watched those unfortunate enough to be caught in their grasp be raised into hungry mouths.

Blood fell like rain, and she couldn't move. She watched in horror as her father, sensing her presence, turned to look around for her. He stopped at Pixis, looked at her, knowing she was safe under the cloak, and smiled. The relief he felt seemed to wipe the age off of his face, and he turned away again just as he was picked up.

Lott wanted to turn the other way as the horses shuffled through the traffic of the death march, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her fathers dreads, moving as he tried to fight, soundless, the smiling Titan.

Suddenly they were charging again, but not fast enough for Lotti not to see Tobias's body snap like a twig in the mouth of a Titan. The blood sprayed violently, staining everyone below, including Pixis and Lotti. Pixis rode on, not once glancing back.

Lotti stunned, she couldn't scream, although she felt every fiber of her being shredded and destroyed inside her. She rode on horseback safely, while her people were fed to Titans like scraps to pigs, or sold into servitude. She rode on horseback sprayed in the blood of her father, the blood of her people.

She felt the tears come, but instead of pained sobbing, only laughs.

* * *

That was a long one. But good for background.

Also, for those of you who have not read the manga, or the prequel, Angel Altonen is credited as the creator of 3D maneuver gear.


	2. Chapter 2: Insolent

Lott was hoarse when they arrived at what looked like a castle. It seemed was the wee morning hours, maybe midnight. The blonde woman helped her off the horse, hugging her.

"We've all lost someone, and I know it doesn't help much, but you're not alone." Lotti only half listened, more focused on the warmth of human contact than words of consolation. She felt the woman's hand by her face and she recoiled immediately, looking at her like she had tried to slap her.

"This is all I have left of them, don't take that away from me yet." The woman paused, but nodded, leading her to walk behind Pixis and the other man as they headed towards the castle door.

"You can take the cape off. When we get inside, I'll run you a bath and find you some new clothes when you're ready. I'm Petra," she whispered, and squeezed Lotti's should reassuringly.

Lotti couldn't feel it though. Or much of anything. It was like the blood flow of her body was cut off entirely. The most she had felt was the warmth of Petra's hug. She couldn't even feel the grass beneath her bare feet as she walked, nor the change from grass to stone as they entered the building. She watched her arm float up to pull the cape from over her face, and she heard Petra tell her how lovely her hair was.

They walked until met by a tall blonde man with blue eyes and angular features.. He glanced at her, but did not speak. A short man, about 2 or 3 inches taller than her, with hard eyes and dark hair followed shortly after, acknowledging Pixis, and looking towards her. Lotti met his steady gaze, disliking him immediately.

"Petra, ready her a bath. She can't stink up the place like this." Petra looked at Lotti, mortified that the short man was so rude, but she moved off into some unknown direction.

"No, Ms. Petra, I'll start the bath myself," Lotti spoke up, still matching stares with the short man,"when I'm ready to bathe. Not a moment sooner." She heard Petra stop moving, waiting for what the short man would say next. He blinked, but still had that bored look on his face, like she was a piece of dirt that rolled into the room upon opening the door.

It annoyed her.

"You come into this building smelling like Titan spit and blood, and speak against a direct order. For your sake, they should have eaten you as well. You'll be forced to learn respect the hard way by the time you graduate. Go run the bath Petra," calm as ever, he looked away from Lotti, obviously done with her. Petra hesitated, but shuffled off.

The blonde man, who'd been watching along with Pixis, spoke to the strange man, who had not yet introduced himself.

"Go after her, send her to go find Kappel some clothing, but tell her not to touch the bath. The girl is capable of cleaning herself."

The man went off without a word, his footsteps echoing. The short man didn't even flinch. The blonde man now turned his full attention to Lotti.

"Step forward,"although it was a command, it felt as if he were asking. Lotti stepped forward into the dim light of the torch, looking the blonde man directly in the eye.

He locked eyes with her.

"You have never met me, but I respected your father greatly and the work he did. I am Erwin Smith, Commander of the Scouting Legion." he offered his hand, looking down at her. While his eyes were kind, they were also calculating, intelligent. She gave him her blood splattered hand, shaking his firmly.

"Lotti,"she said plainly, before dropping his hand. The ghost of a smile graced his lips, and was gone as fast as it came.

"Lotti, you look very much like your mother Magda, and I'm sure she's proud to see what you've become," she felt the short man's eyes on her, but she ignored them. Erwin stepped aside, clearing the path for the group to move down the hall. They followed him, without a sound into an office. Papers were strewn about, but otherwise it was very neat. Erwin lit several candles, illuminating the room. He sat down behind the desk, leaning forward to watch Lotti as she sat in front of him. Pixis stood beside her, and the short mad stood beside Erwin.

"I'm sure Tobias spoke to you about his hope of you enlisting?"

Lotti nodded. Erwin lent back, reaching for something out of one of the desk drawers.

"These are your identification papers. Bavaria was a city independent of our government, so you are not legally recognized as a citizen. Your father wished for you to enlist into the 104th Trainees, so I pulled some strings to make you a citizen. If you wish to enlist, I will send this information in the morning. You'll have to wait a year, but they'll keep your name in the Archive, and you'll be called with the other trainees. If not, you will still be given citizenship, but instead we will have you sent to a safe house a place where you'll be cared for by a family, within Wall Sina."

"I noticed that the old guy's emblem is different from yours. Although Dadd-"she stopped, worried the short man would say something that would make her bash his head in with the nearby paperweight" my father explained he wanted me in the Military Police, what are my options in deciding to join?" Pixis spoke up.

"I promised your father I'd help you get into the Militar-"

"With all due respect, Grandpa, I don't want to join the Military Police." she looked between the old man and Erwin. Erwin's eyes flashed, momentarily, but he said nothing. "I know for a fact that joining the Military Police means I'll never see a Titan a day of my life. I hold them responsible. The people? Stupid, afraid, but their time will come when it will be them in between the teeth of a Titan...but it's only so much room in these walls, walls we're confined to because certain death is on the other side. There will be other Bavarias, made to suffer. The refugees from Shiganshina are as good as dead, just like the people of Bavaria were. They will be herded into the mouths of Titans as well. Anyone who cause the majority discomfort or pain will ultimately be eaten. If we eradicate the cause of shit like this...we eradicate the need for these walls and the need to turn people into cattle for the comfort and well being of others." at this point she was fighting back tears, but she let them go. They didn't make anything she said less true. She had experienced so much, she deserved _some_ release.

Erwin was silent, as was the short man, but both listened intently. Lotti looked at Pixis, hoping he knew she meant every word she was saying.

"My mother died so that I could live. My father sent you to get me into a Military Branch that would...let me die peacefully. This is no disrespect to him, or to you, but I want to fight. I want to fight for myself, for my right to live and call myself a human being. Commander," she looked at Erwin now," I'd like to enlist into the Military, but I want to fight on the front lines when training finishes ," she looked back at Pixis,"and I will get to that point without endorsement."

Pixis laughed, patting Lotti on the shoulder,"Sounds like you have yourself a new Survey Corps recruit, Erwin. My offer still stands, and will continue to stand as long as you draw breath: My home is yours, and you can come to me for anything. Now, I know they will care for you while you stay here the next few days while your necessary affairs completed. I will come for you to take you to to my home. I bid you all goodnight." he nodded at Lotti, then Erwin and the short man, and left.

Erwin took his chance to speak," The Survey Corps, the "front line" as you call it, is not a decision to make hastily. We lose 90% of our recruits to Titans. It's the hardest and most draining of the three branches. You must be ready for death at all times, willing to sacrifice yourself upon command. You have four years of training, think carefully. Upon graduation, make your decision. Levi," this time the small man stirred. "escort Kappel to her room."

Lotti stood up, calm, but annoyed by the short mans indifferent gaze.

"Sir." he walked right past her, and out the door. She followed behind, happy to have some peace.

"Stupid girl," the man, Levi, voice echoing in the dark. Lott didn't speak, just sped up her pace, making Levi trip up and drop his torch. In the dark, she smirked.

She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't bring herself to care or stop herself.

Just as soon as the torch-light went out, she felt a hand running through her hair and yanking it violently, and she flew against the wall. While he did not hurt her, she was caught of guard. His grabbed her neck, and she felt his breath on her face. They stayed like that for a very uncomfortable moment, crushed up against the wall. She doubted he was even really angry with her, despite her best attempt to get a rise out of him.

Tired of him being so close, she punched him dead in his solar plexus and ran down the hall to the next light source, a torch on the wall. She ran, knowing she'd eventually come across the entrance where Petra had walked off and probably find her.

As she got close, the cloak she still wore snagged violently, and her hair was pulled again. She turned to try to plant a blow to his face, the hair pulling was pissing her off. His free hand grabbed one of hers, and they fell to the floor, him on top of her in the fire light.

He looked annoyed at best, brows twitching. And he slapped her.

Hard.

"Nothing is certain, but if I'm still here by the time you graduate, you will regret putting your dirty little hands on me. I could kill you now if I wanted. Disgusting little girl."

He still had a handful of her hair, and her good hand in the other. She stared, mad at herself for starting this and mad that it looked like he finished it.

"Dirty," she laughed. Blood had begun to pool in her mouth where her teeth cut from Levi's strike, spilling over when she turned her head, and the blood she'd been covered in felt tight on her, like a skin that needed shedding. Who was he to call her dirty?

Judging by how doggedly he followed that Commander, he was of low-class. He insulted the noble literally stained with the blood of her nation by reducing them to germs, things cause colds and rashes.

Slowly raising her free hand, so as he knew she didn't mean to strike him, she wiped the blood that had collected on her face with three fingers. She never broke gaze with him. Slowly still, she raised her blood stained fingers and wiped them across his mouth, down his chin.

He tensed, but he let her hair go.

Which gave her the ability to head-butt him as hard as was physically allowed, get up, and run into Petra but a few moments later. She was led to her temporary quarters, where she bathed and plotted her revenge on the Titans and cried for her father.

Pondering on the strange and horrifying night she endured, she went to sleep, and waited for the day she entered Basic and both Titans and humans feared her blade.


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning

Although he could understand granting a soon-to-be-dead friend's wish, this one seemed a particularly bad idea.

Upon their return to the wall, Pixis notified them of his departure to go retrieve the girl. Hiding what was essentially a teenage blue-blooded fugitive at the base of the Scouting Legion, hiding her for a year, and forging her a citizenship papers, before shipping her off to join the ranks of the military of the society that made her an orphan seemed...troublesome.

It was easy enough to do, there were plenty of Bavarian stragglers in Hermiha District, as well as Karanese. Some were orphans, others just moved permantley.

It was rare, however, to see one in the Military.

Simply because most would probably hesitate to serve to protect the same townspeople who went down into the underground tunnels so they could destroying what was essentially their homeland.

But was something that began a long time ago, most likely before Levi came under Erwin's wing. Besides, Erwin's decision was final, and he respected that, despite Levi's own thoughts.

So, Levi was ordered to clean a room, leaving Petra to settle her in when she came. Once Levi was pleased with his work, he reported back to Erwin, who was pacing furiously.

Night fell, and the wailing of people being eaten alive was still going strong. Evacuation of Shiganshina had ended at sunset, so it was safe to assume that by now the only people left to eat were those who had been underground and forced up and out into the open.

There would be no cannon fire, no 3D Maneuver Gear whirring full speed to save anyone tonight. It disgusted him what was happening, but it was also nothing he could do. It was the Circle of Life within the walls.

Eventually, somebody has to get pushed out to become titan food.

Erwin described this "Tobias" as an old friend, and his daughter, "Lotti" would undergo formal training for a future place in the Military Police. Levi knew that when Erwin used the term "friend" as a descriptor, he meant it. However, the realities of the world they lived always came before friendship, and relationships in general. This world was not built for lasting relationship, whole cities of friends and loved ones could wiped out overnight.

Erwin continued pacing the room, waiting for word of Pixis and the girl's arrival. Levi knew the group that went out to retrieve the girl were relatively safe from harm, because Pixis was a capable man, and Petra was there as well.

Erwin figured she'd be comfortable with another woman, instead of Levi's..."unique" bedside manner.

Petra was also one of the best Soldiers they had, come Titan or raucous human, they'd be fine within the walls. While Erwin moved about the room, Levi tried to piece together some things about this whole endeavor.

One thing was clear though.

"You wouldn't have brought her here if you did not think we could use her in the Survey Corps." he said. Behind closed doors, Levi and Erwin were very much the same as they were in public. They had a general understanding, and could speak freely among one another.

Erwin scoffed but didn't stop moving.

"New recruitment is always needed, Levi."

"But we don't try to recruit them before they even go into Training. You wouldn't try to bring her to your side if you did not see a reason for it besides being friends with her father. The Scouting Legion is already frowned upon, I doubt you'd risk both of our arrests for forging her papers and the arrest of Pixis and Petra for intervening in what will be no doubt deemed "a purge for the good of humanity" for a dead friend. Humanities' most capable soldiers all charged with treason and sentenced to death seems counterproductive...unless there was something that was worth it. " At that, Erwin took a deep breath, and stopped to look at Levi.

"She may be of some use, yes Levi. We've been unsuccessful in most of our expeditions outside of the walls, and yet her father has gone out, and gone far successfully."

"...but what's that got to do with her? Surely you don't think the ability travel light is genetics?" At this, Erwin let out a hearty laugh, and Levi knew he was not going to get an answer. Which didn't really bother him, because he knew Erwin was thinking this decision out critically, and had something else planned.

This didn't mean he had to enjoy the company of this girl while she was here. He was told she be there for three days until the papers had been notarized and the Military deemed them as good. Then it wold be safe for Pixis to take her into his care. From there, she'd go into Training.

The only people who knew the Kappel name and what it stood for were those who lived in Wall Sina where that family managed to some power despite their dwindling numbers and distance away from the Wall, and the Military, for reasons unbeknownst to Levi.

Levi didn't ponder on it too much though, when they were notified of the return of Pixis. They walked down the hall in silence, Erwin more tense than was usual, which put Levi on edge.

Pixis was already making his way toward the office with an his second in command. Petra and the girl followed behind. Petra was talking the the girl quietly, and Levi noted just how small she really was. She barely scraped 5'0", with a petite frame. Any other discerning featured were hidden under a Garrison cloak.

All of which seemed to covered in blood, as Levi could smell the iron odor before he even saw her fully. He could only imagine the germs she was tracking in. The girl lifted her hood, revealing a big poof of curly black hair. Her other features remained obscured as she remained off to the side with Petra. He could not stand the idea of her moving to touch Erwin's hand in her current condition, so he ordered Petra to go ready her bath.

It didn't make him feel any kind of way when she spoke out. Despite her ordeal, he was her Superior, and she was a petulant brat at best.

Despite her attempt to directly challenge him, he saw her as no more than a pest who needed to be put in her place.

He ordered Petra, for the last time, to go ready her bath. The fact that she even hesitated annoyed him.

He saw Erwin turn his head slightly toward him, and he knew he was being told to back down. Levi knew that sometimes he could be perceived as difficult, but he also knew that people who found him difficult or intolerant were more often than not up to standard, like this smelly girl in front of him. Erwin sent the young lieutenant, Pixis' second-in-command, to go fetch Petra to tell her to continue to ready the room, but leave the bath for her to do on her own.

Levi cringed internally, knowing she'd track whatever grime and filth was on her onto the carpet in the office. Erwin had stopped talking to Pixis, looking at the girl who remained in the dark. He offered his hand, waiting for her to come into the light.

"Step forward," he commanded, gentle, but still a command. Levi waited, ready to retrieve her upon command.

She hesitated, but stepped forward, too slowly for his taste, but he let it slide. This means he wouldn't have to touch her.

The light reflected off her brown face, and shone in long, curly black hair that fell down her back.

Levi caught himself staring, but wanted to finish analyzing her features. She had what could be described as a "sweet face", much like Petra, just darker, and freckled. She had a small nose and high cheekbones, both covered in freckles, pouty pink lips. Her eyes were...interesting. Something Levi only saw occasionally. They were large, with long eyelashes, but slightly different colors. The left was a hazel color, almost amber. The right was regular brown. Both eyes had the same intensity of someone who thought too highly of themselves. Her whole face speckled in dry and cracking blood, most of which had come off during the ride over, but a large amount still remained. The Her dress and cloak, as well as her small feet, were covered in it, though, which explained the smell.

She took Erwin's hand, shook it, and introduced herself as he did the same. There was some polite banter Levi only half paid attention to, he was ready for her to go to her room so he could retire.

He had things to do in the morning, after all.

Erwin gestured for them to move to the office, and Pixis and the girl followed behind.

The rest was unceremonious, to Levi at least.

Erwin explained that she was to enlist, go into 3 year training, and graduate into the Military Police. She wasn't aware, but there was the strong implication from Pixis that she would be able to go into the Military Police regardless of whether she was top 10 in her class or not.

She proceeded to give the heartfelt speech that orphans give. It was always the same: they wanted to exterminate the Titans, bring World Peace. Blah, blah, blah.

It was what Erwin needed to hear though. Pixis would relent to her wishes, unless it became obvious to him that she wasn't capable of surviving in the Survey Corps.

Which meant that whatever value she had went unbeknownst to him. He bid everyone his farewells, and Erwin warned her of hasty decisions.

It was a half-hearted warning, which surprised Levi. While Erwin was willing to sacrifice his whole force to save humanity, it was not with a light heart that he did so. Levi was curious, but would ask later.

He was then ordered to escort her to her room. He moved grabbed Erwin's used torch, relit it, and silently moved into the corridor. Eventually she followed after him. As far as Levi was concerned, whatever gift Erwin felt she had was dwarfed by her blind idealism. She was not ready to be recruited into any branch, to fight any war. He doubted she ever would be. She had seen the enemy up close, first hand, and still spoke like things were that simple.

Other people would attribute it to her youth.

Levi attributed it to stupidity.

"Stupid girl," he muttered under his breath. He was more thinking aloud than speaking to her. She was so quiet he had actually forgotten she was somewhere behind him. He heard the fast approaching patter of bare feet, and the smell of iron before he felt his left foot disappear from under him.

He didn't know what he was feeling when he fell to the floor, and the light of the torch fizzled out. He was shocked, and angry...but there was something else there. The feeling hung low in his stomach, before burning everything inside him as it worked his way into her system. Adrenaline made him vibrate as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could make out the form of his small assailant in the dark, and he reached to snatch her up. He grabbed her hair, slamming her into the wall. He did this harder than what was needed, but he felt he was losing control of himself, although only a little. The strange feeling continued to burn him up, the fire unbearable as they stayed against the wall. His anger grew as they stayed in that place.

She had gall enough to strike him. No..he had been weak enough to not sense her attack coming. Levi knew he was gifted with genius level combat skills, and some grubby girl got the best of him upon first meeting him. The smell of iron extended only as far as her cloak and dress, he realized. Her skin smelled of sweat and some mix of ylang ylang oil and oranges. Her hair smelled strange, but pleasant as well, and she was so warm and...and, just like that, Levi felt the wind leave him and a pain break him out of his trance.

The girl ran off, and as he wheezed heavily, he saw her running to a better lit part of the corridor. She was heading towards where Petra surely would have come from, but she didn't know that. Levi straightened himself up, realizing how much of a hassle it'd be to have her running loose around the property.

It didn't take much to catch up to her, she was fast, although a little slower than Levi. Once he got within arms reach, he planned on grabbing her and straightening her out. But a spasm of pain shot through him, enough to make him see red. He grabbed her cape, then her hair. She turned, Levi saw to hit him, sending them both falling to the ground. Levi grabbed her hand, his other still in her hair. The top of his stomach throbbed furiously, muscle spasms shooting through him with each beat. Surprised by how hard she had hit him, and that he still hadn't been able to evade an attack from her. He peered down at his captured attacker. She was breathing heavily, the cape open to show a heaving chest, the dress low-cut and tight enough to see how inviting she could be. Her breasts weren't small, by any means..but they weren't out of proportion to her body. Although she was small, her hips were wide, her thighs soft and ample. Her hair splayed around her, her eyes still challenging him.

In the light from the hanging torch, Levi realized that this was all incredibly erotic. It made him sweat under the collar of his shirt.

Another pang of pain, and Levi snapped out of it. He struck her, partly to even the score and partly to collect himself.

"Nothing is certain, but if I'm still here by the time you graduate, you will regret putting your dirty little hands on me. I could kill you now if I wanted. Disgusting little girl."

He was angry, infuriated even, but he said this more to scare her than anything. He had no intent of killing her, but if she pushed him further, he'd beat her within an inch of her life. He doubted she would even become a member of the Survey Corps. A spoiled girl with ambitions too big for her to realize reality, she'd fit in just fine with the ilk of the Military Police.

She stared at him, eyes full of disdain, but said nothing. She turned her head to release blood from her mouth, and she slowly raised her free hand to wipe her mouth. She looked at the blood on her hand, and a small smile curved her mouth.

"Dirty," she whispered, and looked back at Levi. He had the impulse to hit her again, but he decided he'd done enough, and that'd she would be complacent now. He eased up on her hair, and prepared to get up. Her hand danced in his peripheral, and he felt warmth across his lips, into his mouth.

She had wiped her blood across his face, she never took her eyes from him. Levi let her hair go, shocked. he felt the head butt, but was immobile as she ran off into the dark.

When Petra found him, she took him back to the room they had been secretly sharing. She asked him about the blood, and he said it was from biting his tongue, and to leave it alone. Eventually it dried and crusted, then disappeared under Petra's gentle kisses.

They made love, and Levi drank Petra in, occasionally imagining his face was buried in a sea of black hair.


	4. Chapter 4: Trost

This is gonna be a long one (longer than usual. It'll cover the Battle of Trost). I'll post Chapter 5 (another long one) tonight, and maybe Chapter 6 as well. If I don't upload Chapter 6 this weekend, next week Saturday, as I'm starting on my next story. Enjoy! Also, I've replaced somebody in the top 10.

* * *

Graduation was exciting, for everyone, despite it meaning that a lot of the people Lotti had come to like would die, or disappear into the inner walls. The Top 10 was to be announced soon. She felt eyes on her, so she glanced around the area. She locked eyes with Sasha to her left, and they smiled. She turned her head enough to see Armin, and they shared nods. She couldn't see Marco, but she hoped he'd made it into the top 10. He was very sweet, and everyone loved him and wanted to see him do well.

She was excited as well. She had done well, and she knew she could get into the Military Police without Pixis pulling strings. She realized that her past ambitions had been stupid at best, and she wasn't going to throw her life away to a branch with an abysmal success rate and a sky-high mortality rate. Remembering her time with the members of the Scouting Legion at that time, she felt her personality was not one that meshed well with theirs. Also, she learned that the Kappel name had political pull, as her fathers endeavors spread out to more than just mining, and she could make some major changes in the corrupt Military Police for the betterment of Humanity.

The first 5 names were called.

"Mikasa Ackerman!"

"Reiner Braun!"

"Bertholdt Fubar!"

"Annie Leonhart!

"Eren Jäger!"

She watched as her friend stepped forward. Annie, probably her closest friend out of the group, walked past her, glancing back and smiling before claiming the spot she had worked so hard for. A hand fell in the small of her back, and Eren patted her there as he walked past with Mikasa.

"See you up there," he whispered. Mikasa gave a small smile, and carried on. Lottie watched them as they moved together, remembering how shocked everyone was to find out Eren was pursuing Lotti, and that Mikasa obliged. It was in the past, and while Mikasa was soft spoken, the two girls had a friendship that gave them closeness without verbal communication.

The next names were called, and Lotti inhaled sharply, praying she would be called. She told herself she'd make it to the Military Police on her own. She didn't want to go into Pixis' office for anything else but to hear his words of congratulation.

"Lotti Kappel!"

"Marco Bodt!"

"Jean Kirschtein!"

"Connie Springer!"

"Sasha Braus!"

Lotti and Sasha let out a sigh of relief, moving through the crowd to stand in front of Instructor Shadis. People whispered congratulatory words as they passed. Lotti was upset Armin had not made it, but she knew that he had talents that would open doors for him with or without rank.

Shadis explained the 3 branches, and alerted them that their formal applications to the branch of their choosing were to be done tomorrow.

**xXx**

The next day, Lotti woke up early for her morning run, then braided her hair into a fishtail braid for patrols. She only wore her hair down when training and work was finished, it was the only way she could keep the length without cutting it.

By the time she finished, it was time for her patrol on the wall with the others.

Before she left, she took out a sack from under her pillow, inside was the dress she wore the night her father died and Bavaria fell. She turned it over before smelling it and putting it back. She knew her father would be proud. She was living, and she was going to do something great for herself, and humanity.

She put on her gear, and headed out of the barracks to meet the others on Wall Rose.

Upon her arrival, they were talking about where they'd go to.

"Good morning everyone!" she called, as she flew up to the group on her maneuver gear. Eren was there. He smiled, green eyes wide, but said nothing. Everyone else was huddled around Sasha, and Lotti could smell the warm meat that she was almost certain was stolen by the greedy brunette. The smell made her stomach grumble loudly, and she was reminded she skipped breakfast.

"Congrats again, #6, you'll be a great addition to the Military Police." he hugged her, and feathered a kiss over her ear. They had been flirting for about 2 1/2 years now, on and off again, and she had planned on making things official tonight before everyone left to go on to their jobs.

"Thanks, and I know you'll be safe in the Survey Corps as long as Mikasa is with you!" She smiled as he scowled and let her go, growling.

"Bah, I don't need her to keep me safe. I ranked #5 in my class, and you could have ranked higher if you weren't holding back! Everybody knows you could have easily been #1!" She smiled, and reached up to pinch his cheek as hard as she could.

"I only exerted the energy needed to get into the Top 10, I won't have to worry about anything else now that I'm enrolling into the Military Police." she walked away, hoping to get whatever was left of that meat.

"My future is in Wall Sina, where I will make a name for myself, and, most importantly, never see a Titan again." she said over her shoulder. As she stepped behind Sasha, a darkness fell over them.

Lotti attributed it to storm clouds, turning to see how close the rain was. When she turned, she caught only a glimpse of a big, grey eye.

The next thing she knew, she was hit with a wave of heat that sent her flying of the wall. Momentarily stunned, she saw he classmates flying of the edge of the wall, and she knew she heard screaming, and the sound of the wall crumbling below.

Eren called out through the steam.

"Switch to 3-Dimensional Maneuver!" Her skin stung, but she moved for her handgrips. As she aimed and squeezed, the grapple hooks fired, and she felt the gas kick in as she was hauled up to the others on the side of the wall. She glanced down and saw Samuel, alive and unconscious, hanging upside down from one of Sasha's grapples.

Before everyone had a chance to regroup, the large hand of the Colossal Titan gripped onto the wall. It had no skin, and although there was no steam, it radiated heat much like a furnace.

Eren flew overhead, and over the wall.

Lottie felt her heart drop into her stomach, but she knew Eren would be fine. She was terrified though. She'd never seen the Colossal titan this close, and she was about to go into battle with it to save Eren. But she needed to come out of this alive, and with as many of her classmates alive as was possible. She wouldn't let anyone die this early on.

She needed to stay calm, and think.

"Connie, go help Sasha move Samuel to the infirmary. I'll go get Eren. The Special Colossal Titan Strategy has probably already started. I'll get Eren and we'll move to our designated positions! We need to move fast, or it'll be as bad as it was 5 years ago...or worse!" The group split up, with her going up the wall.

She got onto the walkway, by the cannons. This was her first glimpse of the Colossal Titan, and it looked as terrifying as people described. She looked for Eren, and found him running and moving about toward the giant monster. The Titan glanced, and raised its massive hand, and Lotti thought meant to crush the boy. She ran after Eren, knowing this was too big a task to handle alone. Instead of coming down on Eren though, it swiped all the cannons clear off the edge, leaving Eren to propel with 3-D Gear up its massive arm towards its nape.

Lotti stopped running, noting how slow the Colossal Titan was, but also the damage it dealt exclusively to the cannons. She peered over the other side.

The cannons were stationed over the door and along the immediate area, because the Colossal Titan appeared in the spots that couldn't be immediately patched up ,allowingTitans to trickle through. If the cannons were placed strategically around the weak points, most Titans could be picked off with strategic cannonfire, saving manpower and resources.

In the distance, she could see Titans beginning to run for the opportunity to feed.

_It...it did that on purpose! This Titan is intelligent!_

Lotti watched as Eren torpedoed toward the nape, and she wanted to sigh in relief. The Titan would be too slow to stop his attack.

Then the steam came, although not with the same force as before.

_It can control the steam, it's defense mechanism to compensate for the Titan's slow movement. Steam to stop any attacks to its nape, and this...for what?_

When the steam cleared, the Colossal Titan had disappeared into thin air, leaving Eren wide-eyed and surprised.

"It disappeared! It..it just vanished! Are you hurt?" he ran to her, grabbing her shoulders. She shook him off.

"Eren, we have to get back to headquarters. If we don't hurry and get organized, it will be just like 5 years ago." the pair looked out at Trost, as people poured out of their homes. She glanced at Eren, who was shaking uncontrollably.

He had talked enough about his ordeal 5 years ago for Lotti to know that this was something that affected him greatly. Letting go of her hand grip, she grabbed his hand.

"You're gonna get through this, Eren. We _will_ win this, you hear me? Humanity will come out on top," she smiled, squeezing his hand before heading towards Headquarters. Eren smiled, and followed behind her shortly after.

**xXx**

It was at HQ they met with Mikasa and Armin, as well as the others. Armin was visibly shaken, and Lotti honestly wished he didn't have to go forward with everyone else. Armin was one of the 1st people to speak to her. She was "exotic-looking" and was the only other person, besides Mikasa, who looked different from everyone else. Doubly so because she lived in the last underground city. Initially, most did not want her there, because they felt like she held resentment toward Humanity for what had happened. But Armin could relate, because his grandfather had died in much of the same way. Lotti considered him her brother, and as she watched him tinker with his gear, she made sure to be put into the same group as him for defense.

Eren, Armin, and Lotti (begrudgingly), along with 3 others, were placed into the Middle Group. Mikasa wanted to go, but she was placed into Rear for the sole reason Chief felt she was worth 1000 of those on the front line. He almost sent Lotti to the Rear as well, but she made it quite clear a top 10 student could handle herself in the middle at the very least, especially when he knew the #6 trainee in question easily surpassed any of the other 10 students 20 times over.

Before heading out, Mikasa pleaded with Eren to be safe. Mikasa had only told Lotti parts of her past, but she knew Eren was the only family she had left. he was her brother, and she would be alone in the world...much like Lotti, or Armin.

Eren lead their group out into place. A girl with ponytails, Misa, realized they were being incorporated into the Front Guard. The titans were everywhere, and the laughter grew quiet. As they propelled forward, blades drawn, to their left a Titan appeared.

Another comrade, Tomas, didn't make a noise of protest when he fell, but the group saw enough to know things had gotten out of hand. He had stalled, and landed feet first into the mouth of a titan. The entire group halted, shocked and terrified as crying Tomas locked eyes with them before he was swallowed whole.

Eren, as usual, was the first to react. As the Titan continued on its path, Eren shot out to follow behind it, with revenge for Tomas in mind.

"Don't you go off without us!" Lotti screamed, more angry than fearful. There were no Titans around that she saw immediately, but it was stupid of him anyway.

He glanced back, then looked below him, and before the group could readily follow suit, a massive head appeared below Eren, ripping his leg clean off below the knee.

Time seemed to slow down, things seemed so surreal to Lotti as she watched Eren fly to land haphazardly on a roof, bleeding profusely. Armin had fallen to his knees beside her, shell-shocked.

Lotti could feel her heart beating in her ear, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

_He lived to fight the Colossal Titan...to bleed out on a roof? This can't be happening? No...no, not Eren..._

Behind her, she heard the rest of the team. The Titan that had bitten Eren was coming back, so they attacked as a single unit. She turned to join them, but saw immediately that the attack failed. Misa's grapple was knocked loose by the monster, and she flew to the floor. The other two boys were caught and were certainly dead. Another titan had appeared, and picked up Misa to put in her mouth head first.

She glanced at Armin, and knew this was not the fight for him to be apart of. She would avenge her team, she would avenge Eren for herself and for Armin...and for Mikasa.

"Armin, stay put. I'll be right back."

Lotti inhaled deeply,then took care of the Titan closest, the one who had eaten Misa. Sinking her grapple into it's shoulder, and taking out her blade, she spun around the steeple of the building Armin stood on and sliced the nape quickly. Still riding on the momentum from the strike, she hit her hand grips and moved to the Titan who'd attacked Eren. She did a dead drop over the head of the smaller Titan,spinning fast when she was within reach of its weak point, landing on the ground. She turned to go back to Armin, only to see him being picked up by a bearded Titan.

Lotti immediately got to higher ground, her mind racing. Armin didn't cry as he was put into the air, but the look on his face was enough to break Lotti's heart.

Of everyone, Armin deserved this the least.

"I'm coming Armin! I'm coming!"

As she grappled to the building Armin had been, she realized she could kill the Titan, but would be unable to save Armin. Frozen in shame and frustration, she watched as Armin fell, heading into the Titans open mouth.

_Why...why can't I save any of my friends?_

She was really crying now. She sank to her feet, Armin's wails loud in her ears.

_I'm the best in my class...and I can't save anybody from these stupid monsters. None of us can. Not me, not Eren, not Mikasa. For all our brains, and our strategy...we can't do anything to save the ones we love._

She ran to the Titan, blades drawn. She had not seen Armin go down the throat...she could cut him out, grab Eren and run.

_I can get us out, I can get us out, she chanted in her mind, I can get us out, I can get us out._

As she moved through to retrieve Armin, Eren shot out like a bullet. He pulled Armin out of the Titan's mouth and threw him back onto the roof. He was holding it's mouth open, reaching for Armin for help getting out. Lotti ran as fast as she could now.

"Eren! Eren jump!" Lotti and Armin both screamed, both crying now. Lotti was closer now, and she put her hand out, and her other on her grips. She shot them into the steeple, and grabbed the grapple hook for support. She was going to pull Eren out herself.

"Eren!" She called, running with one hand outstretched.

_So close...I'm so close..._

Hey...I can't die here...not like this!" he said, reaching further out. She smiled as she grazed Eren's fingertips, locked hands. Eren couldn't keep the mouth open much longer, so she pulled with all her might. But she watched the teeth separate Eren from her, and from his arm with a sickening thud and crack.

She fell back, on top of Armin, with Eren's hand still gripping hers. The two remaining members of the Middle Guard watch Eren fall down the bearded Titans throat.

Armin burst into tears, and Lotti could do nothing but scream as the Titan turned and walked away.

The pair stayed that way for awhile, the trauma of losing Eren overpowering.

Lotti, covered in blood, and feeling the shame of not being able to save Eren or her team, let Erens hand fall to the ground, and embraced Armin as he gazed with glassy eyes off into the distance.

She wanted to die, to hurl herself into the mouth of a Titan, but all passed the pair by they sat their on the roof. She realized she couldn't kill herself and leave Armin, so when the tears stopped flowing, she sat alongside him.

A few moments later, more help showed.

"Hey! You guys! HEY!"

Lotti had gone from sitting to standing, blades drawn to protect Armin. She understood he was out of it.

She sheathed them, recognizing Connie, Ymir, and Christa. She shook Armin gently,a few times, and he snapped out of it.

She smiled the best she could, and offered him her hand.

"This is not your fault Armin, let's go." He started crying again, but got up. She explained to the trio what had happened, and they moved to HQ.

About three-quarters of the way there, they met the rest of the recruits, looking at something on the roofs. Before they could ask, Jean pointed in the direction of HQ.

The building was overrun with Titans. There was no way for anyone to refill on gas or blades. Even if they fled HQ to try to get to the next wall, eventually everyone would run out of gas. This is, of course, if nobody met a Titan on the way there.

There were too many to fight with such an unexperienced group.

They were sitting ducks unless somebody could think of a plan, they'd all be eaten. She looked around Annie, Reiner, and the other top students were there, as well as few students who hadn't placed. But it was obvious moral was at an all time low.

She did not see Mikasa, and for this she was thankful. She momentarily locked gazes with Annie, who walked over with Marco.

"You two are covered in blood." she said simply.

"What happened to your team? Where's Eren?" Marco asked, jokingly as first, but he saw Armin's expression and he got quiet. Lotti inhaled, and felt tears welling up, despite efforts to fight them down.

"They...they didn't make it. Eren sacrificed himself to save Armin while I was fighting two Titans," the hot tears fell down her cheek, and she tried to fight the lump in her throat,"I was so close to saving him, he was right in front of me, and then-" she couldn't speak, and Annie sensed that.

"Don't blame yourself. Eren died a nobel death. He knew what he was doing when he saved Armin. Don't beat yourself up...and save the tears for later. You can't save everyone." she walked up to Lotti, patted her on the shoulder. Marco hugged her, and Lotti felt terrible as she realized she was wiping snot and salty tears on his dress shirt. He laughed when she apologized into the shirt, patting her head and backing away.

"Lotti! Armin!" A cold shiver shot up her spine, and Lotti looked to Armin as Mikasa ran over to them. One of them would have to tell her. And both were just as guilty as the other. Eren sacrificed himself to save Armin, but Lotti had been helpless to save him. She reached Armin first, and he couldn't look her in her face. She hesitated, her smile falling. She knew the answer, she just needed to hear it. Lotti saw Armin shaking, and tears fell, but she knew he wanted to do it.

She took it calmly as ever, though, thanking Armin before running to her.

"You brought Armin, and you fought with Eren till the end. Thank you," she smiled, and it almost made Lotti cry all over again.

She looked to the tower, then spoke of her plan to eradicate the Titans, and then she was gone just as fast as she came. Although Lotti had failed Mikasa once, she refused to do it again, and she was the first one to act this time.

Although Eren was gone, she still had a duty to protect her friends, and Trost District, and she'd do it. With the image of Eren being eaten in her mind, she used that as fuel to power through and kill any Titan that followed Mikasa. The rest of the trainees followed suit, fighting to protect Mikasa and get to HQ so that they could be safe.

She was the best of her class with maneuver gear and Titan combat. She was able to move fast and fluidly, fast enough to kill Titans before they realized she was there, so she was able to tail Mikasa easily.

She was the first to see it, and it stopped her in her tracks.

It was unlike anything she'd seen before, this Titan. It was a 15 meter, but it was...different. It had shoulder length hair, and pointy ears. It was muscular, and it ignored humans entirely.

"Is that a Deviant class?" she asked aloud, watching it weave through buildings. A feeling had worked its way into the pit of her stomach, and it was uneasy.

She remembered Mikasa had gone in that direction. She had gas to get to HQ, but that means she could not fight this Titan should she need to. She also hadn't seen Mikasa. She followed the Titan, still uneasy. She saw Mikasa, ground level, sandwiched between the Deviant and another 15 meter.

_Shit! I can only take one, and Mikasa's outta juice. The other's too far...I need to grab Mikasa and get the hell out of here. What do I do?_

She decided she'd kill the Deviant. She aimed her grapples, praying she'd have enough gas to at least her and Mikasa to the rooftops. Before she could pull the trigger, however, the Deviant moved.

Fast.

He stepped over Mikasa, punching a clean hole into...

_That Titan is attacking **another** Titan?_

She wanted to watch, but she took her opportunity. Wordlessly, she swung to the ground, grabbed Mikasa and lassoed back onto the roof. She saw Connie & Armin heading their way.

"Guys, guys! That Titan i-i-it- look!" she pointed as another 15 meter titan approached the deviant. The group watched, speechless, as it took a defensive pose, and knocked the Titans head off its body. It flew over and crashed into a building nearby, and they saw the Deviant had taken the head off from the nape.

"...What-"Armin started, but Connie cut him off.

"We can talk about it later, but now we gotta get the hell outta dodge! Armin, let's go!"

"Wait! Mikasa is out of gas! And I have just enough to get to HQ, and that's only if I don't fight." Armin looked between the three, then dropped down and began tinkering with his gas tank.

"I have an idea. a crazy one...but an idea. Mikasa, take my gas. I'll wa-"

"No," this time it was Lotti who cut him off."Whatever your idea is Armin, you're gonna be there to see it pan out. We're not leaving you here to be eaten alive. I'll carry you while Connie and Mikasa cover me. But what are we gonna do?"

xXx

"Get ready! Incoming Glass! GO!"

Lotti propelled Armin off her back as she, Connie, and Mikasa sailed through the window. The plan had worked, and everybody made it in one piece. Jean, Marco, Annie, and the others let out a noise of relief.

"How'd you guys get here" Jean asked. Mikasa looked around, noting that their number had dropped even more since they separated. Lottie looked to her left to see what was left of a trainee, an obvious suicide.

"We had help, but we have to get movin-" the wall next to them collapsed, to show two smiling faces.

"Too many people at once! Everyone MOVE!" As everyone clamored to the doors, Lotti grabbed Jean by the hand and led him to the group. As quick as they appeared, a fist knocked them away from the gaping hole.

The trainees stopped running to watch as the Deviant ripped the two Titans apart, and ready to fight the oncoming wave.

"What is that?" Jean asked, and the other trainees stopped to watch too.

"That Titan is only interested in killing other Titans!" Connie yelled,"and it has no interest in us! We led it here to take care of the swarm while everyone reloaded, it was Armin's idea!"

The group looked and argued among one another, dumb stricken.

"Relying on a Titan?"

"Is that really the best thing?"

"What?"

"Hey!" Lottie yelled,"If you wanna stand here and be eaten, that's on you, but if you wanna live, I suggest everyone haul ass down past floor level! Any Titans down there, we can form a plan to take care of them downstairs!"

With that, she ran out into the hall, towards the spiral stairs, the group moved quickly and quietly down to Gun Storage. Everybody went to grab what they could while Armin and Mikasa planned a course of attack for the titans who were lurking down in Gas Storage.

When they came back, everything was ready. 7 people were to wait while the rest of the group blinded the 7 3-4 meter Titans with firepower. Then those 7 people would strike, killing the Titans, allowing for everyone to re-up on gas.

They moved quickly into the trolley, and the plan worked without a hitch.

With everyone full on gas, they watched the Deviant Titan. It seemed it had been eaten by other Titans, but still fought. The last of the horde killed, it fell to the ground.

Jean moved to kill it, but paused as steam rose from the nape. Lotti spotted a lump forming there, and at first she was worried it might explode.

"Hey, you guys, what-" she found herself moving before she could finish her sentence, and before she realized she had even jumped. Then she was running.

_For a moment, I thought I saw..._

She sped up, wanting to get there before the smoke cleared and somebody made a brash decision. The titan was huge, but Lotti was close enough to see there was a body sticking out of its nape. She felt her knees turn to jelly, but she kept moving, climbing up the side of it,s neck to rest in front of the sleeping boy.

"_Holy shit_."

Without another word, and with tears in her eyes, she was able to pull the boy out of the Titan. She dragged him away from the steaming, decomposing corpse, wiped the gunk from his brow, tears splattering onto his stupid face. The smoke had cleared enough for everyone to see now, but she knew they wouldn't do anything to her or him. He was safe for now. Mikasa was soon by her side, crying.

"He's alive...just asleep." she said, giving Eren over to Mikasa. A teary-eyed Armin approached soon after, holding what had been Eren's missing hand. Lotti patted Eren on his thigh, relieved...but more afraid than she had ever been.

That uneasy feeling she felt upon first seeing the Tit- Eren, had been legitimate. She looked up at the others, and sighed.

"Eren, what have you gotten us into?"


	5. Chapter 5: You

_"I'm gonna kill em dead."_

Eren said this in such a goofy way, it almost made Lotti laugh. Given their situation, she wished everyone else had the same sense of humor.

"Eren!" Mikasa turned away from the other soldier who surrounded the group, happy to see Eren awake. Lotti heard Eren asking a bunch of questions, as if he didn't remember what had taken place. She wanted to ask so many things, but now was neither the place or time.

The other soldiers saw Eren as a threat, and the Mikasa, Armin, and herself as traitors.

"We're up to our eyeballs in shit. Mikasa, get focused, don't take your eyes off of these pricks! Eren, I want you to think, very carefully. Tell Armin everything you remember, and let's see if we can get something figured out. You'll be fine, but you have to think before you speak, okay?"

She didn't look back, but she heard his mouth open in protest.

"Goddamnit Eren, I said think!" She lowered her voice, taking a few steps back, slowly. This time, she spoke with Eren, never taking her eyes off the frightened soldiers in front of them.

_Even if the old man shows up...I don't know how this will end._

"Armin, I want you to listen to me: Commander Dot Pixis will be here shortly."

"H-h-h-ow do you know?"

"Because one of the trainees is a Titan and...he has a special interest," she said, fighting the urge to look behind her,"when he comes, I want you to go forward, and tell them whatever it is they need to hear to get an audience with him, you hear me? You say whatever has to be said to get all of us out here- alive and in one piece."

"What if that doesn't work?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the commanding officer, who called on Eren.

"I see you have come to your sense! Now, Trainee Eren, I must warn you: your actions have proven you to be a traitor to humanity. With that said, I'll get straight to the point: What are you? Human? Or Titan? If you try any tricks, you and your friends will be blown apart with cannon fire, am I understood?"

The field fell to dead silence, and Lotti could feel those Green Eyes burning into everything as Eren looked around in shock.

_He really doesn't remember?_ Lotti looked around, in the faces of the Captain and his subordinates. _It doesn't matter what he or any of us say, they're terrified. They'll kill us...I doubt Pixis can buy us time to prove he's not a threat._

Sweat fell down her face, and her braid finished unraveling, allowing her hair to make a wild frame around her face is black waves. She would have moved to tie it in a bun if she wasn't worried they'd all be shot for it.

Eren remained silent, looking to everyone else for answers they could not give. Even his friends. Lotti, Mikasa, and Armin were afraid and didn't know what to think. Despite how much the three cared for Eren, none could deny what they saw.

"I fail to understand your questioning sir!" Eren called. Mikasa and Lotti shared a quick glance, than slowly stepped back, forming a tighter wall between Eren and the others.

Lotti stopped listening, and focused on watching the cannoneers up on the wall. They stared back, scared, hesitant, but ready for the command.

_It doesn't matter what either Eren or the Captain say, we'll be dust by the time Pixis showed up if we don't hurry and come up with a plan. Me and Mikasa alone are worth a thousand soldiers, and Armin is too smart to kill. Eren is top of his class, and a Titan to boot. We're all valuable, too valuable to execute even, but this man is blinded by fear. We'll die._

While she was watching the cannoneers, she caught pieces of nearby conversation. They were planning on attack head on. She blew her blades, and took stance as did Mikasa, and turned her attention to the soldiers on ground level. Mikasa, who had been silent, spoke up.

"In front of you are two of the most valuable soldiers you may ever see. It is widely known that although Lotti ranked #6, she could have been #1 if she exerted about 50% of her potential. I am ranking trainee, and my expertise is in breaking flesh with my blade, as is Lotti's. If you wish, step forward for demonstration. But none of you will hurt a hair or Eren's head."

"Be warned, we will slash the throat of the highest ranking officer, working our way down. This whole city will burn, with everyone in it, before you come a step closer, we'll see to that. So you think carefully before you act, unless you want to taste the steel of our blades" The girls knew they were laying it on thick, but they meant every word. "

"Wait We can talk this over!" Armin cried, standing. Lotti realized he was trying to speak rationally to them, rather than with the people who wished to blow them up.

"No one will kill Eren, and no one will kill us, Armin, is all that we're saying." Lotti said, calmly. She realized most of the soldiers waiting to kill them were Military Police, while the Captain and Elite Squad Leader were Garrison.

_I don't know what's happening, but even I can see Eren is not only a non-threat...but a benefit to have on our side! I need to be in a position to actively protect myself, as well as these three. These bastards have been made stupid. They've lost their edge. Even with my last name, I'd have to kill all of them and start over to make any changes. How disappointing._

She shook her head, and glanced back at Eren. He had been quiet up till then, looking at the ground. His body was tense and he seemed more afraid than anyone there. He looked like Eren, and he spoke like Eren, but he was different to her now. She was afraid of him.

Not enough to have him killed, or be blinded by her fear, but afraid nonetheless.

He looked up at her, then Armin and Mikasa, then at the Captain.

"I'm...I'm human sir! I am a human being, and loyal to Humanity!" Everyone looked back to the captain, waiting for his word.

Mikasa ran to Eren, but Lotti had watched the walls.

"Mikasa, they're up there waiting as well. Don't bother." She spoke calmly, but adrenaline was burning her body up. She was on fire, desperate for a way out where everyone could escape alive. But there was none.

No one could live without leaving Eren behind.

And nobody moved to abandoned him. The Captain raised his hand to give the order, Lotti moved, grabbing Armin and moving to huddle with Mikasa around Eren.

"Don't mind me, get out of here!" Eren cried, but everyone huddled around him,shaking but ready.

"We're not leaving you, so come up with a better idea, you stupid Titan!" Lotti yelled, smiling and shrugging, gripping everyone tighter. Eren, underneath their bodies, grew quiet. Lotti heard them loading the cannons, and she closed her eyes, tense.

Then, Eren stood up, but did not push anyone away. He raised his hand to the mouth and bit deep into his hand at the sound of cannon fire. Then there was a blast of smoke, and Eren disappeared. Instead, the three trainees were engulfed in darkness and heat, looking around at one another.

Lotti looked around, and saw the base of a spine jutting into the ground around them. She looked up, following the spine to see the ribs. There was a blast beside them, that created even more smoke and knocked them over. It was quiet then. The smoke began clearing, enough for the soldiers to see what Eren had become, and for the three to see that they were inside the hollow of a rib cage.

"We're hidden in the smoke,"Mikasa said,"Armin, we're going to have to go over wall. They don't want to talk." Armin looked between both girls.

"Well of course they don't want to talk? You two threatened to kill everyone and destroy the city! Give me a chance, I can persuade them until the commander comes! What will we do once we go over the wall if we leave? Where will we go?"

Lotti spoke up this time.

"We can go underground once we go over Wall Maria, I know the tunnels better than they do. We can come up for food and supplies, but we can stay where I used to live-or"

"They'll bomb us. And if they don't bomb us, there will be enough men down there to have us trapped. Eren can't transform underground, he'll be too vulnerable!" both girls grew silent. Armin was right. But nobody trusted the soldiers to hear Armin out.

"Please, Pixis is an intelligent man, and you said yourself he would have an interest in this. Let me talk. If they decide to kill us before the smoke clears, we'll go over the wall."

Eren came shooting out, and the corpse that encased them seemed to let out a great sigh.

"We need to move, this body decomposes just like a regular Titan. There will be more steam, we can go over the wall!"

"Eren, Armin is going to get us out of here," Mikasa said. The boy opened his mouth, but she cut him off"It's decided." With that, they all shuffled from our of Titan Eren's rib cage.

Lotti moved, and noticed she could still see the soldiers despite the smoke. She listened intently for footsteps, she also had visuals on the nearby rooftops. While she was on lookout, Eren discussed a basement with Mikasa and Armin.

The body behind them sagged, and made a horrible fizzing sound as it began to decompose.

"Lott." she turned, to see sickly Eren. His nose was bleeding, and he was sweating profusely.

"Change of plans. We're going over the wall to Shiganshina. We can travel the tunnels to get there and-"

"Don't be stupid. You're in no condition to travel, and the tunnel entrances to Wall Rose were sealed. We'd have to go over Wall Maria the old-fashioned way. Instead of becoming fugitives, Armin will bring the military to get whatever you need out of your basement. End of discussion. Armin, you can do this. I know you blame yourself for Eren being eaten, despite the fact he's alive. I know you see yourself as a burden, for reasons I have yet to understand. But I do know this: without you, Eren and Mikasa would have died 5 years ago. Without you, Connie, Mikasa, and myself would have all been eaten. The entire 104th Trainees Squad would have been wiped out today if it was not for you." She turned to look at him"You have what it takes to make the judgement calls many of us cannot. YOu are nothing short of a genius, despite whether you can fight as well as others in battle. You have the ability to control the battle, and move it in whatever direction you see fit. So, as your friend, I'm asking you to make another judgement call, and get us out of here alive and with the Military and Humanity on our side." She kissed his forehead, her hair falling like a curtain over his face. Then she sat down, rubbing her eye. The last of the smoke began clearing.

"I'll be back! and we will get through this!" he said, and walked into the direct sight of the Captain and his soldiers. Lotti looked to Eren and Mikasa, tired and stressed.

"Look as innocent as possible. " She wiped the blood from Eren's mouth as she said that.

Armin's voice, like the Captain's, was far away. But they watched the Captain lift his hand to give the signal. Eren and Mikasa tensed, but Lotti raised her hand to signal that they stay in place.

"Pixis is here."

Armin did the grand gesture, and gave his heart. Pixis watched this, obviously impressed. He then glanced at Lotti and the others. They locked eyes, but neither nodded or made bodily acknowledgement.

_We're safe for...now._

**xXx**

Pixis took the four trainees on top of the wall, and got a crash course in the past events, and Armin ran by him a plan to show Eren was of use. They would reclaim Trost, by moving the boulder that had been meant to seal the wall. At that point, Eren and the groups fate was out of his hands, and decided in Tribunal. Pixis passed this info to his senior strategist. Looking at Lotti, he asked.

"So I assume the men and women below have run you away from the idea of the Military Police?" She snorted, running a finger through her hair. The others were confused by their relationship, but didn't say anything.

"I refuse to serve Humanity with a squad of close-minded free-loaders, sir. And, with no disrespect intended, your Captain is a weak-minded man." They looked at each other, sharing a secret smile.

"I have served with the best group of soldiers I've ever seen today," she continued, gesturing at the trio next to her,"and I'll follow them to outermost wall and beyond to protect them from dumb soldier, hungry Titan, and the elements. Because Humanity needs people like them more than they realize...and I'm sure we can make your job a lot easier."

"I see, and I hear you ranked #6?"

"Sir."

"And I also hear that you could do a lot better."

"That's what everyone tells me...sir." Pixis, smiled his same smile, nodding.

"Then I think we both know where you belong, and I know your father would be proud regardless of what he'd intended for you. You are an adult, and fine one at that. You'll go far in this organization, whatever branch you end up in." Lotti smiled at that, giving him her best salute. Pixis had always been kind to her. He looked out for her, and helped her train before she began formally with the military. he taught her how to pick and take apart all the gear and put it back. He also taught her many a life lesson, things her father would never be there to do. He kept an eye on here during her training, watchful, but at a distance.

She'd go so far as to say he was like a father to her. She sniffed a little, grin widening.

"Thank you...that means the world to me, sir. " He walked past her, patting her shoulder, calling his men to attention and running the plan down to them. Lotti smiled at them, signaling she'd explain later.

"We have bigger things to worry about, don't we?" she didn't mention names, but everyone knew she was speaking to Eren. Nobody knew for sure Eren would be able to control his power, and this mission would call not only his fate into question but everyone else's as well. Lotti knew that her ties with Pixis could not save her from everything. As Pixis commanded his men, Lotti led her group to refill on gas and blades.

Squad leader Rico and one of the stationary soldiers, Ian, led them to the breach, and to the boulder that was to seal it off.

As far they could see, there were no Titans around, which Lotti took as a good sign. With that, everyone leaped from the wall, moving with 3D gear to the destination where Eren would transform. The group split off to surround Eren, watching his transformation.

There was a flash when he bit his hand, then the muscle and sinew of his Titan form seemed to swallow him up. As Lotti watched, she realized they may never have an oppurtunity to really discuss what had happened, him being a Titan. She realized her being afraid and treating him any differently than the Eren she graduated beside was pointless.

"Might as well accept it," she said to herself, watching as the Eren the Titan stood before her, letting out a cry that gave her goosebumps. He moved towards the rock, then stopped in front of where Mikasa had stationed herself. Everyone watched with shock as he smashed where she stood, narrowly missing her. Most of all, Lotti was embarrassed. She kind of laughed, but never once forgot the gravity of the situation.

_He's making us look terrible. This'll come back to bite us in the ass eventually._

He smashed at her again, but he made no attempt to eat her. She moved, but never moved far away enough to not meet his blows. She jumped onto his face, pleading with him to come around.

"Eren! You're human, you need to help us! Stop the hole with that boulder!" He paused, but then brought his hand up to smash Mikasa. She moved, and he hit himself, and went tumbling into the boulder, now headless. Steam poured out of where his head had been, and he sat in front of the boulder.

Rico fired a red flare, and the mission was over as soon as it began. Lotti plopped down on the roof, ignoring how her hair caught in the grain on the roof tile.

"We're doomed," she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut,"Dad, Tobias, if you're there...please pull us out of this. Something revolutionary could come out of this, we just need an extra push. Please help us." she whispered, opening her eyes to look at the sky tinted by the setting sun.

"Sir! Titans approaching! A 10 and 6 meter! We need to leave!" She sat up to watch as Ian debated calling the forces off. He looked at Eren, then Mikasa, then Lotti. Lotti saved her most scathing stare. She could see Ian believed in Eren as much as the three teens did.

"Kappel!" She rose, saluting.

"Handle the two Titans! If anymore come, my men will aid. Ackerman, Arlert! Protect Jäger!"

"Sir!" was the bark all soldiers gave. Lotti sped off, bobbing and weaving between buildings to sink her grapples into the 10 meter's neck. She torpedoed up, from between its legs, spinning and drilling into its nape. She decapitated it, moving smoothly to the 6 meter.

Killing them had released some of the tension that had built up. She realized she _enjoyed_ killing them, and that it was something she wanted to do regularly.

She returned to see Team Rico heading for the breach. Mikasa and Eren kept a watchful eye on Eren. Ian and his team went to the rear as more Titans poured in.

Lotti turned to see three more Titans appearing.

"Get him going! We're all good as dead otherwise!" With that, she watched and decided which Titan to kill first. She saw that the wall separating Trost district from the inside of Wall Rose was piled with Titans, and the men blasted cannons dead on below. She looked back, thinking some Titans had strayed or turned around to wander. They were 3 meters, all approaching from 3 closest would be the most dangerous to take out, as it had already locked in on her position. To attack it head-on would end with her getting chewed on. Moving, out of its way, she grappled to the furthest Titan, swinging behind it and up its body to slash its nape. The 1st titan was following slowly, and would line up with the next, oblivious 15-meter. She shot straight across, slashing the second titan, zigzagging behind the third and killing it as well.

There was a roar behind her, and she saw Eren, in Titan form, moving towards the breach with the boulder on his shoulders. She wasn't sure what had gotten him in control of himself, but obviously that time out was needed for Eren.

She smiled, taking a moment to admire him as he moved forward.

"How symbolic," she said aloud, firing her grapples forward as she moved to help deal with the four 10 meter titans that appeared. She stopped, turning to a huge clamor as the titans from the other side of Trost's wall came hurdling toward them.

"There's like 6 people spread out here!"She yelled, looking to Mikasa for what to do next. Realization flashed across Mikasa face, and she yelled a response.

"They're attracted to Eren, not us!"

Lotti turned, assessing the damage. There were too many, and Eren was moving to slow. They were going to be overrun. Mikasa moved toward her.

"Take as many as you can, Armin is with Eren. Do not get eaten, please," she said, and flew off to join Ian's squad. Killing four Titans on her way.

Lotti moved to the tallest building nearby, about 20 meters. She got to the highest, point, and dove off, grappling to take out a 15 meter, swiveled back and around again, striking down Titan after Titan as she made her way across town, keeping the wave of Titans a t bay to buy time for Eren and the men of Leader Rico's squad.

She knew Pixis and his men were surely watching through binoculars, and could see al of them fighting and continuing on with the mission. So Lotti took it upon herself to push herself to and beyond her limits. They needed to see how hard they could fight, their worth. Lotti spiraled downward as fast as she could striking through the nape of a four meter and onto the next side. A 14-meter bent down to look at her, its big eyes seeming curious. She sunk her grapples into its forehead. The Titan stood up immediately, sending Lotti more than 10 above it.

She positioned herself, knowing with pride that Pixis and the others were watching. She fell in an arc, behind the Titan. With blades pointing straight out. The nape and neck sliced upon like butter, she released her grapple, flying through the air in what was a perfect loop. Smirking, she turned her back to the Titans and quickly moving back Eren. She had to admit how wild and free she felt with her hair cascading behind her, and one 25-Titan kill streak. On the way, she saw that Ian's team had moved to the ground, along with Mikasa and Armin, to distract the Titans and keep Eren swung low, landing on the ground to do the same.

It could mean life or death, but sacrifices needed to be made. She caught up to Armin and Mikasa, who were closest to Eren. She paused, looking up at the massive creature that she knew Eren was now actively and knowingly piloting. Lotti looked around, nervous energy and the buzz of the hunt making her restless as her comrades were picked up from the ground and eaten. The high she had gotten killing Titan's subsided, and she became somber and a little fearful as they watched their comrades running away only to be slaughtered.

"Lead him. If a titan approaches, we break off together and kill it," she said, trying not to look as Ian slid into the mouth of a large Titan like a cracker. The trio ran ahead of Eren, looking straight ahead. They did there best to ignore the crunching of bone, and the screams of the remaining squad members.

They looked forward, never to the side or behind them. The breach was in front of them, and they were so close. They needed to keep moving forward. Stopping to watch their comrades die, even for a moment, meant failure.

As they approached the hole, A hand came near them. They continued running, preparing to break off. But the hand drew back. Lotti peered over shoulder to see Rico had blinded it temporarily, buying them more time to get away.

The three fell back now, leaving the rest for Eren. This surreal happiness fell on Lotti, warming her and making her vision go fuzzy.

_This is it. This is the beginning...we did it._

The three watched, in awe, as Eren slammed the boulder into the breach with unreal force. The happiness took Lotti's breath away, and all she could think was her father, who she was sure was watching at this moment.

Eren the Titan crumpled against the boulder, unable to keep going. Eren's head popped up from the nape, and Lotti quickly grappled to pull him free, using the last of her gas. She watched Mikasa and Armin run to her, as she stood with Eren on the decomposing body of his Titan Form, but they stopped, looking somewhere in the distance.

"Lotti looked behind her, Eren in her arms, as 3 titans made their way over. Out of gas, and out of blades, they were sitting ducks.

"Shit," she whispered, clutching Eren and looking down at him.

"We're gonna need one hell of a miracle to squeeze out of this one." She looked to Armin and Mikasa again. Mikasa was still running to them, but she wouldn't make it in time save anyone on foot. Lotti peered behind her, and Eren stirred.

She was pissed, but still pleased with the mission.

_We got this far, hate to have to go out like this. But at least we opened the door for the others to fight back._

"Hey sunshine, you should have stayed asleep," she said, smiling, then tilting her head back to lock eyes with the Titan that was now above them. It reached down, but paused as a blade tore through its nape. Whoever it was moved fast, whirling from the first to the second to the final Titan with lethal blows.

"Lotti! Are you two okay?" Armin asked, and Mikasa loomed over, worried. Lotti nodded, but never stopped watching the Titan killer behind them. They all peered up, Even Eren turned over onto his stomach to see.

The soldier had his back turned, but on his cape were the freedom wings of the Scouting Legion. He wiped his hands and turned to peer at the group with piercing blue eyes.

Lotti's eyes widened, and she let out a loud laugh. Armin, Eren, and Mikasa looked at her but she ignored them, still laughing at the man. When she her hearty laugh quieted down to a chuckle, she tone was humorless and anything but amused.

"It's _you_."


	6. Chapter 6: The Court Hearing

Armin, Mikasa, and Lotti stood in court, waiting for Eren to be ushered inside.

Immediately after they were retrieved by Levi and the rest of the Scouting Legion, they were whisked to the inner walls by Military Police and separated. The trio had been questioned extensively in the two days since they reclaimed Trost District. They were then ordered to appear as witnesses in court. Mikasa stood, touching her neck where her scarf usually was. She couldn't wear it in court, and it was obvious She was attached to it as she touched her neck nervously.

Lotti had washed her hair, and placed it into french pigtails, a style Mikasa said her mother taught her to do. They hung over her jacket, by her bellybutton. Although all of them wanted to speak, they were in no position to. Across from them was the chief of the Military Police, Nile Dawk, as well as one of those fanatic priests, and various men shop owners.

"I don't like this,"Mikasa whispered, grating her teeth. The other two teens grunted in agreement. Like Mikasa, their first priority was keeping Eren alive.

"You three, stop your belly aching. I can't think," a voice said to their left. Lotti felt her eyes rolling with extreme force as she glanced over at Levi.

_Nice to see he hasn't changed much._

"Also, Kappel," he turned to her this time. Kappel thought about ignoring him, but realized he was now her superior. She got away with it before, but as a trainee, and him the Captain of an Elite Squad, she was obligated to treat him with respect. She turned, looking up at him.

"Sir?" He just stared, then glanced at her hair.

"No one in Scouting has hair that falls further than their shoulders." She squinted her eyes, even short interactions like this annoying the shit out of her.

She liked her hair this length, Her father used to braid it and put the flowers he brought home into it. Now, with her father gone, and her being in the Military, it was something she viewed as a small luxury. She cut it to keep it at mid back length, just above her butt, but that was it.

"Are you ordering me to cut it to your specifications, Sir?" He looked a moment longer, than looked away.

"If you want to die after that liability gets snagged in your gear, or caught by a Titan, that's on you. But if you're to join the Scouting Legions, it will be kept up and out of your face at all times, or I'll cut it myself." She looked off onto the other side of the court, and she rolled her eyes again.

"Sir."

It caused her real pain to speak to him as if he was better than her.

He was better, in rank and experience, but he was also an asshole.

It made Lotti's blood boil. She remembered that night, how he had threatened to make her bid in the Survey Corps miserable. With him throwing useless quips at her, like this, he had already begun.

_Looks like I'm gonna be doing grunt work until a Titan gobbles me up._

Just then doors fell open, and hush went through the room as Eren was led to the center, and restrained. Lotti did a quick scan, exhaling deeply when she realized he had not been beaten.

"Your boyfriend isn't safe yet." Levi whispered, and Court commenced with the thud of the Generalissimo's gavel.

**xXx**

Court was boring. They'd been standing for what felt like hours, listening to the Store keepers, the Wallist Priests, and the Military argue among themselves. They hadn't even been called as witnesses yet. Lotti's feet hurt, and she was worried for Eren. He said nothing, just kneeled with his head down, listening.

Dallis Zacklay called the Court to order again, just as tired of the bickering as everyone else apparently.

"Thank you, gentleman, for your input. Now, I'd like to get on to business. Trainee Eren Jäger," Eren looked up, green eyes shining.

"Yes sir!"

"You are called here today so that we may decide your fate. If I find you to be a friend to Humanity, the Scouting Legion has offered to take you."

"However, if I find you to be a foe, you will be given to the Military Police, and they will do with you what they see fit." Lotti and Mikasa visibly tensed, both glaring at Chief Dawk across the room.

"Yes sir, I understand," Eren replied. He seemed calm, and he looked over their way from the side of his eye. "I have no objections! Sir!" Zacklay nodded, and brought his gavel down.

"Thank you Trainee Jäger. Let's begin. Commander Erwin Smith, please come forward, and state your case."

Erwin moved forward smoothly, saluting Zacklay before speaking.

"I, Erwin Smith, 13th Commander of the Scouting Legion, propose we take Eren Jäger as a member, to use him and his power in future missions...That is all"

And then he stepped back. Mouths dropped, including the 4 teens. Lotti turned her head to see Erwin. Even Zacklay seemed somewhat surprised.

"Are you sure?"

Erwin nodded,"Yes Sir. My plan is that, with his power, we can reconquer Wall Maria. I would think, for Humanity's sake, the choice would be a clear one." Zacklay nodded, turning now to Pixis.

"Is the Trost door fixed for their departure?" Lotti could not see Pixis, but she knew he'd done what was right...and what would protect Lotti's interests.

"Yes, and, if you don't mind, I'd like to take this time to make it known that the Garrison gives the Scouting Legion their full support for the movement of Eren Jäger into the Survey Corps."

Zackley nodded.

"Duly noted," the he looked to Chief Dawk, queueing him to begin. Dawk step forward, saluting, then taking out his notes.

"I, Nile Dawk, Cheif of the Military Police, propose Eren be executed...but only after extensive experimentation and research. I have weighed our options. While his powers are great, I have been informed there is social imbalance as a result of his presence. Those within wall Sina see him as dangerous, while those in Wall Rose and the outer cities see him as a hero. I fear Eren Jäger's presence could be the cause of Civil War. After our research and questioning is done, we will name Eren a war hero, to honor the good he's done for Humanity."

Armin & Lotti could feel Mikasa vibrating with rage . The three of them had been stripped of their gear upon entering, which Armin thought was for the best.

_Mikasa is level-headed, but never when it comes to Eren. If she had her gear, no doubt we would all be killed._

He looped his arm around Mikasa's, peering past her to signal Lotti to do the same. Lotti reached to hold her other hand. She squeezed tightly, looking only out of the corner of her eye before looking back at Eren.

"No need," said the priest, looking at Eren in disgust."This is a monster, nothing more, nothing less- an abomination and an offense against God. He must be executed," he paused, to look across the room directly as her," as should his whore, the Bavarian native." The room fell into chaos. Lotti felt heat spread all over her face, and she felt as if she had been slapped.

She did not move, although she would have liked nothing more than to strangle the pastor to death. She felt all eyes on her, and she knew she was blushing profusely. The vein under her eye throbbed as she stood stiff with rage and humiliation. Zackley turned to her, face neutral.

"Trainee Lottie Kappel." She stood forward, saluted, but looked straight ahead, past everyone, focusing on a small crack on the opposite room.

"Sir!"

"I respect the work your father did for us, and for the Inner Wall. I've read your file. You're quite brilliant, and in the reports it is said you killed an astonishing 50 titans, mostly deviants, on your own. May I ask you a few questions?" All eyes were still on her. She never spoke about her father, only her "adopted mother" who had died during the fall of Shiganshina. In the years she trained, she had gotten acquainted with the ghost of her father. She was more proud than ever to call him her father, and prior to all of this, she had wanted to be in the Military Police to push for the continuance of his work. Mikasa, Armin and Eren watched her now as well.

"Yes sir!"

"It is known among your peers that you had a relationship with Eren Jäger. Do you deny this?" She quickly scanned the room to see everyone was staring. Some smiled, others looked embarrassed for her. Eren had stopped glancing at her to stare fixedly at the tiles on the floor. His face was the color of a ripe tomato. Mikasa squeezed her hand, and Armin coughed.

She glanced to her right Erwin looked ahead, seeming not to care. But Levi was watching out of the corner of his eye to see her squirm. Although his expression never changed, his blue eyes were amused.

_Oh Jeez..._

She looked down, blushing heavily on her face, ears and chest.

"No Sir, I do not." The room burst with side conversation, and Lotti's heart thumped in her ears as Zackley banged his gavel. She knew the next question he'd asked. Everyone in the room did. She felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. She sighed, hoping lightning would strike her dead, or Eren would turn into a Titan and eat her.

"I ask this only because I have to. Have you consummated the relationship, and was there any indication Eren was...different?" Her eyes widened and she stared straight down at the floor. Eren coughed a couple times. She didn't look up this time, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her face had gone from tinged in pink to deep scarlet. Mikasa squeezed her hand.

She cleared her throat, and looked directly at Zacklay.

"We have...consummated our relationship sir...more than once, but as I stated when I was questioned before, I had no idea he had Titan abilities. I doubt bedroom prowess would be any indication, despite how enjoyable the experiences were." Zacklay, Levi, and Erwin seemed to be only people in the room who weren't blushing, smiling, or generally uncomfortable. Lotti returned to looking at the floor. Without fail, she heard a few whispers of Titan sex jokes. One of which Levi snickered at.

"I see."

She sighed, preparing to speak up.

"With all due respect sir, I'd like to let it be known that despite my relationship with Eren, neither my abilities or judgment are negatively affected." this time she looked at the Pastor,"most importantly, I'd like for it to be known that I'm not a whore...and if this Priest feels the need to voice his opinions about me again, I will go over there, and I will choke the life out of him with my bare hands and bring him closer to the Gods he worships so loyally. And I will do the same to anyone else who questions my honor or my abilities. I'm sure many of you have seen my file, and know that I am fully capable of doing that and more. Sir." The Pastor paled considerably.

The courtroom was quiet again. Zacklay smiled a little, but nodded.

"It is noted. My final question to you is: what do you think should happen with Jäger, and why?"

Lotti looked at Eren. He was looking at her again, his face still red.

"I believe Eren should be made a member of the Scouting Legion. He is an invaluable source to Humanity. Every soldier in this room, including Trainee Ackerman, and myself, can be replaced. Eventually, all of us will meet our end, whether we do so comfortably within the walls or in the stomach of a Titan, we will die and there will be others like us. But Eren is valuable, and one of a kind. It was only because of his power that Trainees Armin, Ackerman and myself stand before you. It is because of him that the 104th Trainee Squad, and the Elite Combat squad was not wiped out completely, as it surely would have happened had he not transformed. Sir."

She saluted, then stepped back. He nodded, motioning for Mikasa.

"Trainee Ackerman, step forward." Lotti glanced over at Dawk. When Mikasa moved forward, he pulled out a new set of notes, as i waiting for an opportunity to rebut.

He asked her the same question, she said practically the same thing. Zacklay flipped a page of his notes over.

"I appreciate your passion, Ackerman, Kappel. However, isn't it true that, when Eren initially transformed, he struck at Mikasa with intent to kill?" Eren looked over at them, surprised. Lotti, looked over her shoulder, where Squad Leader Rico was. She blushed, pushing up her glasses.

"I wasn't going to lie a report," she whispered, hand over her mouth. Lottie squeezed Mikasa's hand.

"Lying won't help him." she whispered. Mikasa sighed, then looked to Zacklay.

"Yes, but he also protected me, and our whole class as I said before, and as Trainee Kappel said. A 15-meter was about to kill me, but Eren ripped him apart immediately! When the 104th Trainee Squad were sitting ducks at our headquarters, he killed a horde of Titans and allowed us to refill on gas and blades so we could escape. He risked his own life for ours more than once!"

"That may be true,"Dawk said,"But I doubt Trainee Ackerman just as much as I doubt Kappel. Trainees Jäger and Ackerman have a history as well. It seems the pair have a history of violence. When they were just children, Mikasa Ackerman and her parents were attacked by slave traders. Her parents were killed and she was kidnapped. When Eren and Grisha Jäger arrived at her home to find her gone, Eren took it upon himself to follow the kidnappers. He killed two of them on his own, and Mikasa killed the third, it was at that time Ackerman moved to Shiganshina as and adopted daughter of the Jäger family."

Lotti looked at Mikasa, surprised. She then turned to Eren, who was staring at the floor gritting his teeth.

"In addition, the Military Police also suggest Mikasa Ackerman and Lotti Kappel be executed." The girls jaws dropped, and Eren looked to them. Armin looked at them then to Dawks.

"Before Commander Pixis intervened, both Ackerman and Kappel threatened to kill all officers in the vicinity, and burn the city, with everyone inside, to protect him. I think it is obvious that their allegiance is to this boy, not Humanity. " The room went into an uproar, most with agreement. Across the room, the Pastor smiled. Mikasa dropped Lotti's hand, and the two prepared for a fight.

"We should kill all four of them! They're traitors!"

"How can we be sure they aren't Titans too?!"

Accusations swirled, and it was getting to the point where even Zacklay couldn't call order. She saw Levi turn to her and the others.

"What a mess," he said, bored as ever. Zacklay banged his gavel wildly, trying to restore order as the Military Police proceeded to move towards the teens, and some of the shop keepers followed.

Eren's screaming broke through all the noise, The room got quiet again, and everyone stopped moving.

"It's one thing to kill me! But don't you touch Lotti! Armin! Mikasa! Don't you touch my friends! They didn't have anything to do with this! " he snarled, and everyone stayed frozen.

"Everyone who has spoken against me is forgetting something major: They don't fight on the front lines! They've never had to fear being eaten, or everything being taken away from them. You've all lived comfortably while the strong fought and died for you, and the poor were sacrificed in your place to the Titans! You're so busy being afraid of me, and how I'll affect your _convenience_, you won't consider the good I can do!"

Lotti, Mikasa, and Armin looked at one another, and around the room. Eren had not been given permission to speak, and he was speaking against high ranking officers and officials.

"This is bad," Armin said. Everyone just watched as Eren spoke. He was right, and the teens knew it, but it wasn't his place.

"You damned cowards...if you're too afraid to even fight to defend yourselves, at least support the people who risk their lives to fight for you! You spineless bastards...Stop fussing already! And put your faith in me!"

The room was completely silent, too stunned by how brazen he was to speak against his superiors.

Mouths hung open as Eren caught his breath.

"Whoa." Lotti whispered, unsure of what would happen next.

"You bastard! At the ready!" Daws yelled, and one of his men readily pointed their musket and Eren.

"Shit." Lotti and Mikasa ready to move to the gunman, but a firm hand held Lotti in place.

"No," Levi said,"and that's a direct order." then he hopped over the banister and kicked Eren across the face with a strike so fast Daws was still about to order the shot. A single tooth rolled onto the floor. Lotti's adrenaline and exploded, and she was going over the bannister with Mikasa.

"You motherfucker! You sadistic son of a bitch! I'll rip your goddamned arms off! You motherfuckin-" A hand flew over her mouth and Pixis pulled her back over the bannister, out of the center. Mikasa was held back by Armin and Rico.

They watched, restrained, as Eren was beat mercilessly in front of them. Every blow had Lotti seeing red, fighting ever harder to move towards Levi. Eventually, four men were restraining her as she cursed through Pixis' hand. Mikasa grabbed Lotti's, squeezing it so she would calm. There was so much blood on the floor, but she knew there was nothing she could really do stop the beating at this point. She yanked out her restraints, and stood fuming as Levi continued to stomp Eren on his face, on his neck, anywhere he could get to. Nobody went to stop him, everyone was afraid.

Eventually Eren could not hold himself up, and he fell forward.

"It is of my opinion,"Levi murmured evenly, fixing his cravat as he stepped on the back of Eren's neck,"that pain is the most effective way to teach discipline. That you need, Eren Jäger, is not a lecture, but a practical lesson." and he began kicking him again, and again. Eren gurgled and gasped, and the sound of bones crackling in protest was loud. Lotti's blood was on fire, and Levi glanced over his shoulder occasionally at her, briefly, but long enough for her to catch, before landing particularly hard stomps to the back of Eren's head. She realized that he was not talking Eren alone, but to her, and to everyone else in the room.

Some people turned away, others became pale and sick-looking. He lifted Eren's head with his foot casually, as if turning over a leaf. He pushed it against the post, and began to lift his foot, trying to break Eren's nose. Dawk raised his hand.

"Levi, wait." He turned at his name, but rested his foot firmly on Eren's face. Mikasa was panting like she was the one who was being beaten, and Lotti had gone completely rigid, sweating. The area of the bannister she'd been holding cracked loudly, but Levi only peeked behind him before turning back to Chief Dawk.

"What is it, Chief?"

The Chief seemed genuinely surprised. Levi's tone was even... he hadn't even broken a sweat, and he sounded like his morning reading had been interrupted.

"What if he decides to get revenge on you, and turns right here. Levi took his foot from Eren's face, and grabbed him by his hair, pulling him intentionally so his arms strained.

"But Chief Dawk, I thought you were going to dissect him? What does it matter if he turns?"

Dawks, the priest, and the store keepers all looked to the floor, not answering. Levi let Eren go, and he fell back against the point.

"If I remember correctly, when he became Titan, he killed 20 of his own kind before he ran outta juice. Now, he also possesses intelligence, and who knows who his rage will be directed towards? If he attempted to kill me, I could handle my own, but if he decides his appetite is for Military Police, or Priests, he is your problem."

Lotti watched Eren sputter on the floor, Armin sighed, and Mikasa remained tense.

"For those of you who have been picking on him this whole time, keep this in mind: if he did decide to transform again, right now, would you be ready- no- would you be _able_ to kill him?"

Commander Erwin took his chance to speak.

"Generalissimo, I have another proposition. We still don't know much about the Titans, even less now that Eren has shown his abilities...I propose that he be given a test run with the Scouting Legion. He will be put in Levi's care, as he has shown he can control him. We ask that he accompany us to Shiganshina as his test. This would ease some of the civil unrest that makes Chief Dawk is so worried about, and give us a chance to study him. Should he prove a threat, there is no doubt the Scouting Legion could take care of it."

Zacklay removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Captain Rivaille,"he said, gesturing to Levi. Lotti, listened, still seething with rage. He turned from Eren to look at Zacklay.

"Could you kill him if the need arose?" As he glanced at Eren, he paused on the two girls. While everyone was terrified of Levi, when the beating stopped, they had taken the time to realize they needed to be afraid of Mikasa and Lotti as well. He seem surprised for a moment, his face returning to it's normal mask of indifference as he look at Eren.

"Definitely."

"Then it is decided. Eren Jäger is to be charged into the care of the Scouting Legion, and to report here again depending on his mission results." Levi uncuffed Eren right there, picked him up, and walked out.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Armin called, and the three stumbled to catch up. Eren looked back at them before he disappeared. Erwin put his hand out, keeping them from moving.

"Ackerman, Arlert, we will care for him. You will see him in a few days, if you decide to go through with the decision to join the Scouting Legion. Trainee Kappel,"he put his hand on her arm,"you may come, for I have things to discuss with you. That is, if you wish to join-"

Lotti broke his grasp, saluting in front him.

"It would be an honor to serve under you, sir!" He smiled, and nodded. She quickly turned to whisper Armin and Mikasa. "I'll keep an eye on Eren. That bastard won't get near him again. If he does," she nodded to Mikasa, the message understood. She felt a hand patting her head, and she turned to see Pixis had not move.

"Well, welcome to the Big Leagues kid! I can't wait to see you with the patch and cape!" She smiled, shaking Pixis hand before walking off with Commander Erwin.

"Sir, if it's no trouble I-"

" You will able to speak with Eren alone soon." he nodded, as they walked through the corridors to what Lotti assumed was the Scouting Legion's private quarters. There were about 15 rooms, an office, a large conference/strategic room, and a kitchen. He led her down the hall and to the right, where there were more room. He opened the door to one, allowing her to pass through first. She came into a leisure room full of Survey Corp soldiers.

"Oh! Whose this lovely miss?! Such pretty hair!" A kooky lady in glasses got right in Lotti's face, smiling and stroking one of her pigtails. "You look so adorable! So small! Those eyes! Those freckles! Too cute to be a soldier!" She hugged her then, and Lotti hesitantly hugged her back.

"I'm Lotti, hi," she said as the lady suffocated her between her breasts in a crippling hug. She gasped, thrusted her away so she could look.

"You're _her_? But you're so short? Like a Levi 2.0 huh?! "

Levi spoke up.

"Hanji, shut up. There is no such thing. She's a stupid kid, just like he is." Before she could move from 'Hanji', a man came up to her, leaning over to sniff her.

She paused, staring as the blonde man smelled her shoulder, then the crown of her head. He grabbed each one, sniffing and unbraiding them as he went. She felt eyes on her, and looked up to see Levi watching from beside Eren on the couch on the far end of the room. She quickly looked away.

"You smell wonderful," he said, more speaking to himself than her. He backed away, and she ran a hand through her hair. He extended his hand to her, smiling.

"Mike. Welcome to the team."

She smiled, still kind of creeped out, but flattered by the compliment.

"Lotti." She looked around the room, looking for a free seat, settling to sit across from Eren and Levi.

Eren looked at her, the looked at his shoes, blushing heavily. He had been cleaned up, a few bandages on his face, and he held ice to his face. She wondered at first why he was so shy, then remembered vividly how interested the Military had become in their sex life.

She looked to Erwin, who nodded. She grabbed Eren's hand and led him into an empty bedroom down the hall and towards the front of the facility. She heard Hanji protest, saying she wanted to study him but Erwin told her to drop it, that they would not go far. She heard what she knew was Levi making some noise of disgust.

Eren was still blushing as she looked up him, running her hands through his hair.

"Uh...are you sure now is the best time?" He asked, but Lotti ignored him as she kissed all the bruises on his face.

"Shut up, I was so scared for you. You coulda died Eren. I wanna touch you," she said between kisses, leading Eren to the bed, the quick kisses turning to slow sucking on his bottom lip, down his neck. She pulled her jacket off and tossed it on the floor, along with her shirt and bra. She pushed Eren's shirt up as she planted soft, wet kisses down the toned skin of his stomach, reaching down to palm him through his pants.

Eren let out a sigh, and pushed her away, slowly.

"I'm sorry, but not right now Lo. I..today...I'm sorry about everything. You don't have to do this," he looked away from her, but rubbed his thigh to comfort himself. "I'm trouble. You got embarrassed to day because of me...you and everyone else almost died because of me. I'm disgusting," he gritted his teeth, squeezing her thigh. Lotti let out a gasp.

"Eren! Your tooth!"

No sooner did she even get her words out did Hanji come bursting through the door. Hanji was beside Eren, opening his mouth. She gasped, before letting out She out a wail that sent the men running in, with their blades drawn.

There was an awkward lapse in time, where the men tried to figure out just what was wrong, and stood frozen in the room.

She threw an arm over her breasts, coughing politely. Levi glanced at Lotti, and for a minute they were caught in a painfully awkward stare. Then he simply exited the room. Mike sniffed the air, looked at Lotti, the turned and ran out coughing. Erwin stared with wide-eyes, his stare dropping to the floor, and he just backed out and shuffled out of the doors view.

"Hanji!" he called from the hall"What is it? What's wrong?" She now looked back at Hanji, who was still poking around in a now beet-red Eren's mouth.

"The tooth! It grew back, Sir! It grew back!" Hanji rolled around on the floor in joy, then stopped rolling when she made eye contact with the still topless Lotti.

"Oh my,"she said, giggled, the rolled clear out of the room.

Eren threw his hand over his steaming face, and Lotti kept looking between the still open door and Eren.

"Soooooooooooooo...this is it huh? This is the Survey Corps?" she asked, scooting off of Eren. He only nodded, still red. He peered through his hand at her, and sighed.

"This is it."


	7. Chapter 7: The Direct Order

Ok, I know I said I wouldn't upload any chapters, but I'm really on a roll here. I got a free week to write with reckless abandon, so expect a bunch of shit, for this Story and the upcoming Story (which I'll post Wednesday).

**This one will be smutty, you have been warned.**

* * *

They rode out for headquarters, and all Levi could think about was the previous day.

He had only looked for a moment before he walked away, but those few seconds stretched out to hours and burned a hole into his brain. He didn't try to fight it or ignore it, but it had kept him up all night, and it made his blood boil.

He remembered it clear day.

That hair was thrown over her shoulders, the smooth skin of her shoulders and back were dotted with freckles he. The sun peeked through the blinds, and she looked nothing short of divine. She sat on top of Eren, who had his mouth open as Hanji poked around looking inside of it.

Her eyes were on him, judging and challenging him to say something, or to come closer.

She didn't even blink. Just stared with those mismatched eyes.

As Levi remembered these things, he noticed arms wrapping tighter around his waist, and soft breasts pressed up against his back. Levi shook that creeping warmth- and her hands- off as they rode horseback to HQ. Eren was behind him, followed by Hanji. Eren had been given Mike's horse to use, so Erwin charged Levi to let Lotti ride shotgun on his until she was able to get her own.

He was overjoyed to see the vast building, a building that instantly reminded him of the first time he'd met Lotti Kappel. That joy quickly faded. He slowed his horse to a stop.

"We're here, get off." he growled.

The ride had been hell for him. He was tired, he was horny, and he knew he'd have to clean that whole damn castle by himself.

"Whatever...sir." She moved to get off, Eren helping her down. She looked up at the castle, then quickly looked back at Levi, before looking away.

"Jäger, go assist with cleaning. Kappel, come with me to pick your horse, and assist in cleaning the stables." Eren saluted, then rain into the castle. He was by no means jealous of Eren. He knew that, while he Lotti Kappel, Eren also had tremendous respect for him, even though Levi kicked the crap out of him. Hanji rode past him, smiling stupidly.

"Enjoy your bonding time with Little Levi!" she called, going to check on the progress of her own project. Levi dropped from his horse, taking both it's harness and the Eren's. He knew which horses had been brought over, and he already had one in mind for the girl. They walked quietly to the stable, now half full of horses for the new recruits, and the horses that belonged to members of the Scouting Legion. He secured Eren's horse, and his own, before turning to watch Lotti move through the stable.

"Kappel!" he called. She turned stiffly, moving toward him. She had not done anything with her hair today, letting it hang loose. This was the style Levi enjoyed the most.

It made her look like a character out a of a children's tale. Wild hair, funny eyes, mischievous, and small...she reminded him of a fairy.

Levi's mouth twitched as she stood before him.

"Sir?"

"I picked your horse already, come with me." Her eyes narrowed, and she didn't budge.

"I thought it was customary for recruits to pick their own horse, with all due respect Captain." He turned to direct her, shrugging.

"I also thought it was customary to follow the orders of your superiors. So follow them girl." He heard her scoff, but she came.

Her horse was in the far end of the stable, by those of the rest of the Special Operation Squad. He moved to its den, pushing open the wooden door.

"Go look at it, tell me if you like it." She stared at him, mistrusting, and hesitant. Most of the time, her distaste for him was cute, attractive even, although in a strange way.

But she was letting it get in the way of a horse, which pissed him off.

"Get your ass in there you stupid girl, are you deaf?!" he snapped.

She blinked, and moved forward, Levi followed. She grew still again, as she stared at her new companion.

It was an all black mare, whose mane and coat shown near blue. She was timid, but took to someone well enough after a few treats. Like its new owner, it had the capacity to be headstrong and stubborn as a mule.

"It'll be up to you to name her, and care for her. This is, of course, if you like her." Lotti turned slightly, but moved around the horse silently. She circled once, then rubbed the horse gently. She moved to her face, patting her mane and smiling. Levi felt awkward standing there, so he spoke.

"When I saw her, she reminded me of you. She's a stubborn ass, but she has a beautiful coat." He said, picking lint of his jacket to make the compliment seem a lot less like a compliment.

When he looked up, Lotti was staring, but not in disgust or irritation. She had a blush that spread down her neck, and she seemed genuinely surprised.

"uh...okay." she coughed, moving so her back was to Levi, but she peered at him over her shoulder. When she composed herself, she turned around again. Levi noticed a bale of hay in the corner, and thought about taking her and fucking her in it, ruining her hair. Petra interrupted his fantasy though.

"Sir the-well, long time no see!" she said, beaming at Lotti. Lotti ran to Petra, hugging her.

"You've grown so- well, not by much, but still!" She said. Petra had a way of befriending everyone she met, and making them feel like old friends. She was the opposite of Levi in that regard.

Lotti laughed, smiling as Petra led her towards the castle with talk about woman things, and leaving Levi with the horse. He looked at it, remembering how pleased Lotti looked when she saw it, and how surprised she was at the fact she liked anything Levi had given her. Her fed the horse, and then went into the castle behind the girls.

* * *

Levi didn't tell Lotti that Eren would be sleeping in the dungeon. As a matter of fact, nobody did, until Petra let it slip at lights out.

"Why is he in the dungeon though? He's not a prisoner, right? At least not now," Lotti yelled from her bathroom. Petra had bought her more shirts and pants, both uniform and casual, and was folding them. Petra was sleeping in the room next door, and Hanji across. Headquarters was huge, and while having a constant shortage of soldiers was usually a big disadvantage, it meant everyone could get their own room. The three women were on the second floor, at the end of the hall. The men, except for Levi and Eren, all slept at ground level. Levi slept alone two levels above them, on the 4th floor.

Hanji had made herself comfortable in Lotti's bed, and was picking her nose.

"If he transforms by accident, or without permission, in the dungeon we can contain him without him running around raising hell, and we can study him,"Hanji said, smiling at the idea.

"There's so much to learn! He has more secrets than Sawney and Bean combined!" She cackled, kicking her legs in the air. The next day would be spent researching Eren. She only gave them brief descriptions of her work with "Sawney" and "Bean", but it was obvious she enjoyed it. Lotti went so far as to say she was compassionate for them.

She realized that, whenever Hanji or Eren talked about Titans, she had no discernible feelings toward them. Not to say she liked them, or had forgotten everything they'd taken away from her. But she realized that she could protect herself from them with ease, and while she hated the destruction and death they brought to Humanity...she liked the rush that came with fighting them. When she originally thought Eren had been eaten, and Armin almost got eaten as well, she hated them But both boys were alive and well, and would continue to be as long as she was there.

She listened to Hanji babble some more, brushing her hair till it shone. She let Hanji talk about Titans, and Sawney. She knew she wasn't supposed to wander around the castle after Lights Out, she had been ordered directly by Levi not to.

But she wanted to see Eren. Levi left them no time to be alone after last night. She really wanted to see because she knew he was probably upset about having to sleep in the dungeon, partly because she liked the idea of disobeying Levi's order, and because she knew once everyone was asleep, she could go and finished what she started yesterday without Hanji barging in and poking around Eren's mouth.

She had taken off her bra, and stood just in a red cotton camisole and her lucky red undies. . She looked at herself, making sure she looked as inviting as possible. She had brought her oils with her, and she put some in her bath. Eren liked the one that smelled like oranges, or the vanilla. She used a bit of both, putting the vanilla in her hair. She turned to look at her petite hourglass frame from all angles. She was small, but she had perky boobs, and wide thighs with a "cute butt"(Eren's words, not hers). When she twirled to look back in the mirror, Hanji and Petra were in the door, smiling but not saying anything.

Hanji howled, then slapped Petra on the back.

"Well Petra I think it's about time for us to go to sleep!" she pulled Petra out of the bathroom and out of Lotti's room. Petra came back, blushing, holding an unlit candle and some matches.

"This is for...if you're afraid of the dark! Or want to read or something!" Hanji peeked her head back into the room as Petra went out, squinting and smiling.

"Goodnight Little Levi, my dear! Remember, it's lights out, so whatever you do," she looked around, then dropped her voice to a whisper,"don't go down the flight of stairs at the left end of the first floor. And DEFINITELY don't keep going until you come to two doors. You should totally avoid the one on the far right, the one with the stairs? That would take you to the dungeon, and you know you're not allowed down there! Make sure to be outside and dressed tomorrow morning at oh-six hundred hours with Petra!"

Lotti blushed, but nodded. Hanji winked, then yawned, going into her room and shutting the door.

* * *

Lotti waited a little before leaving.

She threw her hair on her shoulders, and grabbed some mint leaves to chew on while she walked. She opened her door slowly, walking into complete darkness. She thought about lighting her candle, but decided to wait till she had gotten past all the sleeping men on the first floor. She tiptoed on bare feet down the hall, down the stairs, and past the bedrooms. Along the wall were candles, and the moon shone through the huge windows as she reached the door Hanji had told her about.

When she opened it and went through, she lit her candle, and descended down the stairs. It was dark, and wet, and Lotti wished she had worn shoes, but it was too late to try and go get some. After about four flights of stairs, Lotti came to the two doors. She went through the right, to enter another well lit corridor. She put her own candle out, seeing that the candles lined the staircase as well.

Lotti jotted down the steps, and down another flight before she came to another door. There was hole cut into it with bars over it, and she could see last flight of stairs the huge bars of the large cells in the dungeon. There was only one with it's door flung open, at the end of the room.

She inhaled sharply, then exhaled slowly. She bent over and shook her hair, spit out the mint, breathing again. She put her candle on the ground. She opened the door, the sound bringing Eren into the hall.

"Lo?"

Lotti ran down the stairs, past the huge empty cells toward Eren. She hugged him, hard, and glanced into his makeshift bedroom.

A large bed had been moved from one of the rooms down into the dungeon for him. He was given a desk and a chair. She knew he could go upstairs to bathe and use the bathroom, so she wasn't particularly worried about the bucket in the corner.

"So this is it huh?" she joked, trying to lighten Eren's mood. He went and sat at the desk, sighing.

"Yeah, it is." He stared at the floor, and the candle light from the wall made his eyes shine. Lotti sat on the bed, feet swinging, looking around.

"You know,"she looked at Eren,"None of us see you as a burden Eren. When Mikasa, or Armin, or any of us look at you, we see a savior kind of, you know? Rico's squad, Ian and his squad, died protecting you."

He looked at her. She smiled.

"But they could have killed you, and the rest of us. They sacrificed themselves because they believed in the good you can do. I will fight, and die if I have to, because I believe in you. Mikasa and Armin would too." she reached for his hand, squeezing it.

"You have what it takes to avenge your mother, to avenge everyone who died at the hands of the Titan. You can do that, Eren, and I think that's more good than burden to any of us. We'll go on this mission to Shiganshina, and we'll find whatever is in that basement." She pulled his arm, and he stood up. He wouldn't get on the bed though. She knew her words made him feel better, but he still wasn't quite sold.

"You came here against a direct order, you could get into trouble ya know." she snorted, standing up and letting Eren's hand go. Never looking away, she peeled her top off.

"It'd be worth it. I miss you, and who knows when we'll be able to do this again," she whispered, standing in front of him,"Besides, what are you going to do, tell on me?" his lips curled into a smile, and he inhaled her scent deeply and moved to kiss her on his own.

Fucking finally!

She let out a sigh, timing slowing down as Eren cupped her under her thighs and picked her up. Just before their lips me, he stopped, looking down at her. Lotti felt her breath hitch, and she looked up into Eren's face.

"we better make it count then,"he whispered, then smashed his face into Lotti's. Her hands slid up from around his neck to dig her nails into his scalp.

The kiss was rough, with teeth clacking together as the two devoured one another hungrily. The kiss was messy and wet and deep. It stole Lotti's breath, but she couldn't break away, needing to get further into Eren's mouth. He moved them away from the bed, and jammed Lotti into the wall.

xxx

Eren felt like he was drowning. As he held his prize against the wall, he realized how on edge he had been in the past days. With everyone trying to kill him and trying to figure out how he could be a Titan, he hadn't felt like himself. He felt uncomfortable and ashamed when he saw any of his friends, feeling like a freak. The night before when Lotti tried to cheer him up, she felt so small and fragile on top of him. He suddenly felt like he'd break her, and she didn't notice. He had been embarrassed, but happy when they were interrupted. He was relieved that Levi had kept them apart all day.

But now, with Lotti panting into his kisses like she'd never been touched before, he didn't know how he could have ignored her before. Her mouth tasted like vine and mint, and that damn orange smell on her skin was driving him insane. He slid his hand up smoothly into those stupid panties she loved so much, palming her lips, teasing her. He heard the wetness between her legs bubble and squish, feeling it slick up his finger.

Lotti dragged her mouth across the side of Eren's mouth to his ear.

"I missed you so much, I stopped touching myself..I wanted to drip for you the next time you touched me." She sighed as he stopped teasing, swirled a long finger around inside her. She kept going.

"My fingers never get deep enough...fingers never as deep...," he was quiet, smiling into her neck. Eren knew she was going to be impatient. It had been a while since they did this, and that coupled with the stress of this week, he knew foreplay was at the bottom of her list. But he didn't care.

After all, they may not be able to do this again.

He kept pushing, kissing her cheek and then her neck. She whined, grinding into his finger, but focused on the feeling. When she stopped whining, he jammed another finger in, loving how her body tried to swallow him and pull him in deeper, how wet and slick and hot she was, and the shameless noises she made. She turned her head into his ear.

"I want to be on the bed," she moaned, shivering as Eren curled his fingers to stroke her special spot for a short second before taking his fingers out. He put her down, turned her to face the wall. He buried his face in her hair, grinding up against her and moving to stick the same fingers in her mouth. Her mouth opened sloppily, and closed to suck her taste off his skin. He put his other hand fast around her neck, tilting her head back so he could see her taste herself.

She felt his breath on her face, and she opened her eyes, glazed with lust. He felt her warm little tongue splitting his fingers away from one another giving each one special attention, kissing and sucking them. She sucked hard as Eren pulled them out of her mouth. A trail of spit followed, and glistened in the candle light. The sight sent a shiver up his spine, and he went back inside of her, kissing neck.

With his other hand still around her neck, he turned her and moved her to the bed. She sighed happily and fell on all fours, looking at him over the shoulder, bottom raised. He took his fingers out, smirking as she tried to squeeze to keep them in. He saw her frown, but the frown turned to a purr as Eren pulled down the fabric and exposed her to the cool air.

She sat up, and led him onto the bed. She hopped into his lap, kissing him deeply and wrapping her hands around his erection. He pushed her away to lay bare to him in the tangled sheet, looking down at her.

Her eyes were glazed over, her wet mouth open, her back was arched. He held his length in his hand, stroking slow, watching Lotti as she watched him with dark eyes. She licked her lips, her own hands running over her body. One hand ran over a hard nipple, and she let out a gasp, pinching it harshly. The other ran down her stomach, down her thighs, to play with her lips, and the little nub of pleasure between them.

She played with herself, never looking away. Eren couldn't move anymore, hypnotized by the little squeal she let out when she rubbed to fast, and that sticky sound that came from between her legs. She kept playing, scooting closer to him. When she was close enough, she swatted his hand away from his body, and grabbed his length, pulling him down on top of her.

He kissed her again,and they both moaned as Lotti guided pushed him inside, moving her hand to pull him in closer. She squeezed her heat around him, and Eren's world was filled with white noise as he the warmth around him massaged him. He moved his hands to tangle in his hair, and finally started to move.

Lotti's eyes shot wide open, pupils dilated as she whimpered into messy, open-mouth kisses. Eren looked back, mind blank as he thrust deeper, and the smell of citrus and sex sent him into overdrive. He was drowning, Lotti was pulling him deeper. She was dripping again, and Eren felt the front of his thigh getting wet. He moaned, tearing his gaze to bury his face in Lotti's hair.

Gritting her teeth, Lotti tensed up, squeezing her eyes shut, all to try to stop a wail from escaping. She knew nobody could hear them, but the air was so thick around them, she felt like if she let anything out it'd echo around them.

"So good," she whined, repeating it over and over, faster and faster, till it all ran together. She squeezed hard around him, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her teeth into his shoulder. She moved to grind with each thrust, moaning at the way Eren moved her with no effort, pulling him down so their mouths could meet.

She squirmed under Eren's grip, then bucked violently when he brushed up against her spot, mouth falling open in silent scream. Eren hit that same spot as hard as he could, as fast he could.

Lotti buried her face in Eren chest and dug her nails into his shoulder. She was moaning uncontrollably now, loud enough to echo off the walls. Then her back arched and she threw her head back, squeezing around Eren as she let out a long, low moan. Eren let out a growl as he felt her juices spurt on his stomach, dribbling on his length.

Eren threw her leg over his shoulder while she tried to recover and hissed shakily as he drew all the out, only the tip lightly prodding. She shook, but braced herself.

Eren snapped his hips and forced himself back inside, earning a mewl from Lotti. He hit that same special spot again, and again. Lotti saw stars, body convulsing with each wave of pleasure. She couldn't speak, and her eyes in the back of her head. Pleasure exploded painfully in her body, and she felt herself getting lost again.

Eren leaned down to kiss her open mouth, cries dribbling out of Lott's mouth like the best song as she gripped the sheets over head.

Eren was losing it, losing it to sweet, mindless gasps and moans, the soft brown skin slick with a thin film of sweat. He was lost in her scent, orange and vanilla and sex. He couldn't think past her tight little body, and Eren felt himself thrusting harder, faster, losing control.

Lottie squeaked, clenching around the heavy pressure that moved within her in time with each thrust. Pleasure boiled over, coiling deep in the pit of their stomachs as they strove for completion together. She looked into Eren's face, and shifted all of her weight, knocking him back. He looked up to protest, but she thrust against him as hard as she could. Eren threw his head back, his growls getting louder as he forced her down harder to meet his thrusts, making her take him all in.

She felt him stiffening, and she knew he was close. He sat up, reaching to wind his hands in her hair, pulling her hair back. They were both grunting, trying to outdo one another. Her head tilted back as Eren pulled harder, using that as leverage to thrust upwards. It made her eyes cross, and her whole body felt like it was on fire. He hit her spot again, and Lotti felt herself going blind.

But, when her vision ebbed back, she saw a figure on the wall opposite the cell.

She closed her eyes, sighing as Eren pulled her hair harder and bucked up again. She opened her eyes, vision clear.

As she looked at the wall outside the cell, she saw their captain.

His eyes and face gave nothing way, but there he was. He didn't say anything, just watched arms folded over his chest.

Lotti felt her eyes widen, and her heart dropped into her stomach as she met his gaze. But she couldn't think past Eren, she couldn't think.

Impulse took over, and she kept riding Eren, pushing him back, rough. She felt his eyes, but she kept going.

She was so close to cumming, and he was ruining it. Eren wasn't much further. The more she felt his stare, the madder she became. She bounced furiously, and Eren lost his breath, clawing down her back.

Then she pushed Eren away, turning slowly so that her back was too Eren, and she was facing Levi.

She started riding, and Eren stopped trying to get up, arching his back as she swirled her hips and started hopping up and down. She leaned back, but kept her eyes open and on Levi. She went faster, harder and she felt Eren bucking back as he

"So close," she moaned, running a hand up to pull at her own hair. The other hand kneaded her breast. Lotti switched it up, from fast to slowly, letting her feel every inch of Eren. She grabbed his thighs, slowly grinding against him. She raised up a little, then came crashing back down, going back to their fast pace.

Eren was growling again, before bucking up with a howl, his head swimming. Lotti gasped, as cum spurted against her spot, and Levi eyes were burning her up. His face was so indifferent, but his eyes...his eyes-

She cried out, tearing her eyes from his as she felt herself go, vision clouding over. She came, the juices spraying over the mattress. She panted, head falling back.

When she caught her breath, Levi had walked off.

She fell back against Eren, heart racing. Eren reached onto the floor, giving her a rag, then curling up behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you for being patient with me,"he whispered, burying his face in her hair. She rubbed his arm, forgetting the memory of Levi.

"Shut up," she sighed, turning over to look into his eyes. She held his face, before letting him rest on her chest and began stroking his hair. They stayed that way, and Eren fell asleep.

After about an hour, she kissed his forehead and scooted away, getting dressed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, eyes wide. He looked at the spot where'd she'd been. He didn't want her to go.

"Well, it's about 2 hours before everyone is reports to see Hanji's pet Titans. So, **_we_** are going to my room, where we will enjoy a hot shower and get dressed. Then we'll wait in the mess hall for everyone," she said, smiling.

Eren thought about it, still groggy. When he realized she wasn't leaving him alone, he smiled back, getting dressed.

She led him up the stairs, back to ground level, and up into her room.

As she closed her door silently, Petra's opened just a crack. Petra stuck her head out, smiling.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked, winking. Lotti smiled, and nodded. Before she could ask the same, an all too familiar voice called from behind the blonde woman.

"Petra! What are you doing?" Petra opened her door, blushing, and looking back in the room before looking back at Lotti.

"Uh, Lotti just woke up early is all, Captain! I was just saying good morning ha ha. Sir!" Lotti's eyes widened, and Petra opened the door a little more, to allow Levi to peek at Lotti.

"Good Morning Kappel," he said, before slamming the door.

* * *

**Hey guys! I do read my reviews, and feedback is always welcome! I've written about 30,000 words over the course of 3 days (and I'm now working on the 1st chapters of the new story, as well as Chapter 8-10). A user pointed out some plot holes to me, which I really appreciate! So Chapters 1-3 have some slight changes to fix them! Other than that, I hope you all enjoy! :D

***From now on, edits/updates will be noted on my profile for you to see!


	8. Chapter 8: Uncertanties

"With Petra, huh?" Eren said, still relaxed from last night and their morning shower. He really needed that intimate contact. Not just the sex - even though that was fantastic - the hugs, the touches and the supportive words. Getting eaten and beaten half to death had made him quickly forget that there were people who felt anything but fear or hatred toward him. He walked, fingers intertwined with Lotti's to the stable.

She'd wanted to show Eren her new horse, although she felt weird about saying Levi picked it for her. Last night was as great as it was odd. It was hard for her to be on edge, despite getting no sleep and having her commanding officer walk on her in the middle of violating a direct order. He didn't seem to mind...but she saw something change in him. It was in his eyes, just like everything else.

"Yeah, weird right?" Despite the two teens best efforts, neither could imagine Levi as even remotely sexual. He was too cold. She patted the mane of her mare, feeding her. Her big eyes looked back at her, and Lotti couldn't help but smile. The creature radiated a kind energy, with dark eyes that drank Lotti in and calmed her.

Eren watched from afar, arms behind his back. He had known Lotti for about 3 years, to afraid to talk to her at first. He watched Armin and Annie talk and laugh with her, then Sasha.

Even though Lotti was so warm and welcoming, he knew there was a lot she kept to herself. She never talked in detail about her family, even though everyone in the military knew her name and her father. She'd never explained her relationship with Pixis, which seemed to span back further than training. He still was very fond of her. Even his sister Mikasa liked her, despite Mikasa not really liking anybody.

But even though Lotti had her own secrets, he respected that.

"Have you named her?"he asked, watching as Lotti stared happily at the feeding horse. Their hair was the same blue-black color, he noticed. She petted the horse again, then looked at him.

"Actually, I did. Her name's Eir." Eren nodded, wrapping his arms around Lotti's waist. He buried his face in her hair, feeling a little like his old self again.

"Thank you, Lo," he murmured, not moving. They had a little time before they were to report to Hanji, and he just wanted to stay like this. She moved forward, turning to him. She smiled and pushed him into a pile of hay.

"What are-"she put a finger to his mouth, moving to sit in his lap.

"Stop thanking me. I didn't do anything out of pity or obligation. I'd never follow you or anyone else out of obligation," she said firmly. Then her finger was replaced with her mouth, and Eren fell further back into the soft hay. It always made his head fuzzy the way she could be so resolute when it came to him. Her hair fell over him like a curtain, surrounding him with the pleasant smell of vanilla and oranges. He relaxed into the kiss, more comfortable than he could ever describe. She pulled away, eyes half lidded, lips curled mischievously. He looked up at her smiling. He sighed, laying his head in the hay.

"Do you love me?" he asked, still smiling. Lotti looked down at him, brow raised.

"I just...I don't know...thought I'd ask. Do you?" She still had that look on her face, and Eren felt so big and clumsy underneath looked away, sighing.

"Sorry."

"You know," she rolled off him to lay next to him,"when we were cornered and about to be blown up, I told them I'd kill them and everyone in the city before they hurt you. And I meant that," she said, but continued before Eren could say something,"If the Generalissimo decided to hand you over to the Military Police, I was going to kill him and everyone in the room,I'd already decided. Except for Armin and Mikasa. But I was going to kill everyone. To protect you. I'm here now, with you, ready to sacrifice myself to keep you safe." The pair was silent for a few minutes, and Eren understood that was her way of saying yes.

"Where would we have gone? If things had gone south?" Lotti responded without a thought.

"We'd go outside the walls, of course." Eren shot up, laughing.

"How would the two of us survive beyond the walls without gear? How would we survive period?" He was still laughing, but Lotti looked, an answer on the back of her tongue.

She had an answer, a definite answer...she was just contemplating telling him. She kept looking at him, and Eren stopped laughing.

"Lo?"

She smiled, the crooked smile she gave when she was done talking about something.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a piercing scream rang out through the area. Lotti was the first out of the stable, running full speed to the sound. All the soldiers stood around Hanji, who was crying over a large pair of skeletons.

"What happened here?" Lotti asked a soldier as they watched Hanji scream in grief. The bones too, started to steam and crumble, but Hanji didn't move.

"Sometime early last this morning, in between shift changes for patrol, somebody killed our titans." Lotti and Eren's eyes widened.

"What do you mean someone killed them?!" Eren said. Lotti watched Hanji, the bones crumbling like dust.

"Somebody didn't want us to know what we're dealing with. Sir," she turned to the soldier,"this only could have been done by 3DM Gear, and whoever did it had to be skilled, to be able to kill quickly and get away without being caught...right?"

The man nodded, and Lotti saw a flash of blonde hair in the crowd. Erwin locked eyes with her as he came to the two teens. He stopped behind Eren, whispering so only they could hear him.

"What do you see?" Eren and Lotti looked at him, then at a crying Hanji.

"What are we missing? Who's the enemy?" he asked. Eren looked at him confused, and Lotti continued to staring at Hanji.

An uneasy feeling made it's home into her stomach, as it often did before something bad happened.

_Somebody with extensive knowledge of 3DM gear killed the only two titans we had (besides Eren). A soldier, one of our own...is hindering Humanity. Hanji was careful, gentle even... If they hadn't been killed, she could have pulled so much information from them...what the hell is going on?_

xXx

Erwin called her into his office shortly after the debacle of this morning. She knew his mind was hard at work putting pieces into place that only he could see. Lotti was a smart girl, but this was a situation she didn't have the experience to navigate. She knew a soldier had killed the titans, to keep them from gathering new intel. But why? Were they paid? If so, by who? That one fact brought up a million questions, each one Lotti wasd unable to answer.

It was frightening, and it made Lotti sick to the stomach to think about. She'd been so happy this morning. She spent the night with Eren, and after experimenting with Hanji, they were going to go see the new recruits, who were moving in tomorrow. It was like they had been in a dream, and were living as they did before graduation.

Hanji's screaming and the steam of crackling bones had woken her up, and she settled quietly into a state of perpetual unease. That same tense frown she'd had as a kid made permanent residence on her face. She walked into Erwin's office, to see him fast at work on something that was probably related to their future travel to Shiganshina in a month's time. In the room was Hanji and Levi. She saluted, but Erwin waved his hand.

"Save the formalities for outside the office. Come, sit."

"Uh...okay, sir." she sat beside Hanji. Levi stood by Erwin, his eyes burning holes into her.

"A soldier killed Bean and Sawney," Hanji spat, wiping her eyes involuntarily. Erwin sat back, watching Lotti.

"I figured. It couldn't have been anyone else," she paused, then spoke again,"I doubt you'll find the culprit, though." Erwin, looked at Hanji, then Levi. Lotti thought she'd said something wrong, and continued.

"I only say that because if they took this great a risk to kill the Titans, they wouldn't risk killing them with their own gear. I'm guessing they're doing an inspection to check for someone who used their gear without permission, right? Well, whoever killed the Titans was smart, you won't find anything."

Erwin sat, regarding her with a thoughtful stare. Then he inhaled, preparing to speak.

"We don't think Eren is the only Shifter." Lotti flinched, but didn't say anything. "We don't know who or how, but we think there are others, hiding among us. And we think they are the one's who are working against us."

"For what?"

"Nobody knows yet, but whatever secret they're trying to keep, they're willing to protect at all costs. As you know,"Erwin smoothed out the paper he'd been working on,"we're going to do a quick test run to Shiganshina, just to see how far we can go and get everyone familiar w-"

"We're not going for a 'test run'...not really, are we?" Lotti asked, her brow twitching furiously. Erwin's lip twitched into a smile.

"No, we aren't. With our two test subjects dead, we need a new one. We all see Eren as a valuable addition to our group, so it'd hinder more than help to experiment on him on an extensive level. If there's more than one person against our advances, then it is because they are shifters. They will not be given the same opportunity as Eren, for they have shown themselves a threat to Humanity's existence. So, we will ride out to Shiganshina, with Eren in tow, and use him to lure this traitor out."

Lotti sat quietly. She was shocked, but it made sense. Erwin was an honest man, saying things plainly. She looked at Hanji, who had long stopped crying, and was smiling- probably at the thought of testing (and possibly torturing) the traitor.

"So why do you think this trip to Shiganshina will lure them out?" Erwin laid back in his chair. Levi spoke up, voice even and cold.

"Think about it, Kappel." She narrowed her eyes at him, seeing the amused look in his eyes. She worried he'd been mad about last night, and was going to chew her out, but it was obvious he'd thought it all very funny, including her being in the dark. She did as he said, though, looking at the ground.

_Obviously, they'd be after Eren. Shifters who'd been in touch with their abilities, Eren would be a threat to them. But why not- why not just steal him from HQ? Why kill the titans when there's a much greater- oh._

Lotti's eyes widened, and her heart started beating rapidly. She looked at Erwin_._

_That can't be right! They would have-unless...no, there's no other way for that to be true._

"If they'd known Eren was still alive, they would have just taken him. They wouldn't have wasted any time on Sawny or Bean if they knew Eren was just a few paces away underground. They could have easily snuck into the near empty castle, knocked him out, and disappeared. The only way for them to know he was alive, or where he was to be there in court. And since nobody came after him, its safe to assume nobody here or who was present in court was responsible...at least not directly. So, whoever kille the titans would probably be-"

"A member...or members of the 104th Trainee Squad would be the most likely candidates, yes." Lotti sat back in her chair, massaging her temple. She didn't want to believe it, but it made perfect sense. At least, given the situation. She guessed Erwin would tell the rest of the 104th Trainees the general gist of the plan.

_Just enough to know where they were going, and that Eren would be there._

This would be the perfect opportunity for the traitor to shift and grab Eren, and also the perfect time for the traitor to be captured. They could steal this person quietly, and make an example of them to the others.

The room was quiet for a while, as Lotti tried to stop the oncoming migraine from assaulting her.

"I'm assuming I'm not allowed to speak on this to anyone but you guys?"

"We don't know if any spies are afoot, or if they'll join the Survey Corps, or what, so no," Hanji said.

"And while we're on the subject of traveling outside the walls," Erwin said, pulling open a drawer,"What can you tell me about your father's travels?" Lotti jumped, involuntary reaction to Erwin broaching a subject only she knew about. On his desk was a stack of about three or four journals, bound with twine. Lotti looked between the three soldiers, and the journal stack. Then she looked in Erwin's face.

"I guess I'm not in a position to ignore this question, huh?" she chuckled, but no one else was laughing. She sighed.

"Well, most of the tunnels have been sealed off after Shiganshina fell. But before that, My father and several of his most trusted friends traveled through the underground network of Shiganshina. Originally, they were looking for other ways into the other cities. My father was trying to gain support to build more cities under ground, before moving everyone underground altogether. They'd go up to farm, and tend to livestock, and travel freely, but they'd live mostly underground. There'd be no need to fight Titans. It was my reason for wanting to go into the Military Police."

"Or at least part of it," Levi added. Lotti looked at him, then Erwin.

"Who told you about the tunnel leading to the outside?" Erwin asked, eyes even as he looked at her. Lotti knew now was not the time to dodge questions.

"Pixis told me I'd inherited a flat in Wall Sina. When I skipped patrol one day to go see it, I found little notes all over, then finally a journal, kind of like the ones on your desk. They were in a language me and my dad made up, one I thought was just for fun. When I read it, I realized he'd taught me the words to a language he'd made with the sole purpose of communicating with me. The journal said one day he'd found a tunnel, one he'd never seen before. He followed it, and it lead him to land he automatically recognized as outside the walls. He ran back underground terrified. Eventually, however, he started going outside everyday, sneaking away from the others. This went on for about a year. Then one day, he went to see that the tunnel had collapsed."

"Your father, had given me these years ago, although I suspect there are much more scattered about. he said they were vital and sooner or later somebody would come along and translate them for me. I thumbed through them, and I only saw names. One in particular showed up in two journals, " Erwin never looked away from her, trying to discern what was truth and what was a lie.

"Whose name?" She asked. She was scared now, although she couldn't really pinpoint why. This conversation was good, it was necessary, and it helped her learn about her dad. But she felt bile rising on the back of her throat, and she had the distinct feeling this was the beginning of something terrifying and a descent into grief and madness. Erwin just shook his head, pushing the journals to her.

"It's not my place, but I'd like you to stay here while we go to induct the new members in. I'm also going to give you the plans for our mission next month. Learn them,and don't speak of anything you've read or heard here to anyone without my permission, understood?" Lotti felt suddenly exhausted, as last night had never even happened. She took the journals, and her plans.

With a heavy, sinking heart, she left the room. She had a terrible feeling. She wasn't sure of anything, even less after talking to Erwin. She'd known changing things and earning victory against the Titans would be hard, but this hard? This soon?

She felt terribly overwhelmed. She walked into her bedroom, where Eren was in bed, napping before he left with the other. She hid her new possessions in her closet, and climbed into bed. Eren's arms wrapped around her, and she felt his lips press softly against her forehead.

"We'll get through this Lo," he whispered, half asleep and trying to relax her tense body. Lotti hugged him back, burying her face into his chest, and locking their legs together. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she let them fall.

"I'm not so sure about that anymore."


	9. Chapter 9: The Female Titan, Part I

Note: This is gonna be a two part chapter. It'll go all the way up to the capture of the Female Titan. And to make this chapter _even_ sadder, I've added some extra depressing news prior to their battle with the Female Titan! Enjoy! :'D *This one, as well as the next chapter, pull more from the show than from the manga, with regards to a few parts.

* * *

Eren kissed her goodbye as Hanji came to retrieve him. Petra stopped in before they left, smiling her usual warm smile.

"This morning was so awkward for me!" She giggled, her face red. Lotti smiled, a small one, but a smile.

"It's great Petra! I'm glad I wasn't the only one busy last night! But," Lotti paused, trying to find a way to say the next part. Petra sensed her loss for words.

"I know, most people are surprised. I'm me, and he's...Levi," she laughed,"But he's...I don't know, a different kind of man, you know?" Lotti made a face.

_He's different all right._

"I know people think he's difficult, rigid. And he is, but once he manages to find a way to open up to you, you can see how beautiful he is. He's picking on you, I'm guessing?" She said, a knowing smile. Lotti sighed heavily, smacking her forehead with her hand.

"Oh my God you have no idea!" She nodded, laying across Lott's bed to look at her.

"Well, he's always been different with me, but I noticed that he's particularly...mean with people he sees a lot of himself in. He won't teach you, he thinks that something only on-the-job experience can do, but he'll constantly be on you after your 1st mission. He expects nothing short of perfection." Lotti scrunched up her face, recoiling at the thought she was anything like the short man.

But I'm nothing like the guy!" Petra laughed, kicking her legs in the air as she did so.

"Oh, Lotti. It's a reason everyone calls you Little Levi! You're a more...open version of the Captain. But that same hate for uh...'the Man', you know, the status quo. You're stubborn, but loyal to the people you care for and work for. Everyone knew you would have fought every one of those men in Court and at Trost's wall to protect Eren and your friends. You saw something they didn't, and you'd fight to the death to make sure everyone else saw it too. You probably haven't noticed, but your space is always spotless compared to everyone else. You've been here long enough for dust to begin settling, yet there isn't a spore in sight. You enjoy killing Titans, it's obvious, and you do it well...but, like the Captain, you are kind, and you are a person who cares about the people you work with. You're more open and sociable, but you two are pretty similar."

Lotti, stared at the ceiling, thinking about that.

"You know, Levi and I have been together for a long time. We recently wrote a letter to my father, asking if we could be married!" Lotti shot up, a heavy blush on her skin.

"Whoa, really?! You two?!" Petra nodded, smiling as hard as she could. Lotti didn't know why she felt so bad, but she did. She was happy for Petra, but with what little Levi had done to her, it made her ashamed.

Even more ashamed because she fed into it.

"Petra," Levi called from down the hall. Petra shot up next to her, dropping her voice to a whisper as she got out of bed.

"Yep! In a few months time, we'll be married hopefully. I have a surprise of my own for Levi, I won't tell him till the engagement is final," she rubbed her stomach, glowing. Lotti felt her eyes bug out of her head. A hand flew over her mouth.

_I'm a terrible person good God somebody kill me she's PREGNANT!_

"Holy shit Petra!" Lotti fell of the bed, eyes still wide. Petra laughed, hand still rubbing her stomach.

"In a few months, I won't be as slim as I am now, but you get my gist. I'll know if my father will accept Levi's offer for my hand in a month's time."

She immediately thought of the mission to capture the Titan.

_She shouldn't go pregnant, an intelligent Titan...it's too dangerous! But...I'm not supposed to tell her anything, Erwin and the others would have me shot and strung up like a deer. _

"Petra!" Levi yelled, this time standing in front of the door. Lotti turned, first to him, then Petra. He looked at the two girls, narrowing his eyes to slits.

"You're going to make us late, let's go. Kappel,"Lotti turned, face red. He paused, confused, before continuing,"I suggest you take up some...'light reading' while we're gone." Petra smiled and waved, Levi shut her door.

She sat, struck by the odd but happy news that Petra gave to her. She was so happy, because Petra was such a sweet lady. But she felt bad, especially about the night before. She'd recognized the look in Levi's eyes as a pretty fifty-fifty mix of lust and quiet jealousy, and she'd played into it.

Remembering what Erwin tasked her with, she took out her father's old journals. She smiled, seeing his handwriting scrawled across the front. None of them were dated, but Lotti took the last journal from under the stack, cracking it open.

Even though she hadn't spoken their make-believe tongue since her father died, she understood it immediately, hearing the words in his voice as she scanned over the first page.

_Lo, my little Angel, if you're reading this now, then the time has come for you to make yourself useful. I told Pixis not too long ago that I wanted you in the Military Police. That was said out of fear, as the day approached when we would be separated. I knew you'd be safe there, but I don't want you to be 'safe'. I've always wanted you to go out and fight, and for you to claim the world as your own. From your days street-brawling with the boys of Bavaria, to the time you took your first breath, I knew everything I'd done was for the best._

She smiled, remembering all the squabbles she'd gotten into with rowdy boys.

_I just want to say that if you're reading this, you've made it to the point of no return, and I know you'll keep moving. You're strong like that. You have what it takes to go far, and do so with ease. However, in these journals are things you need to know to advance. I'm sure you found the note in the home I left you in Sina. I'm sure you found out about your sizable inheritance, and the work I've done to restore the Underground. But, Lo-Lo, there's so much you don't know. I write this with the fear that, when you finish this you will hate me. You will recoil from my memory and fill your heart with disgust and anger for me. But know this: everything I've done was to make sure you were protected. The things we've done; Magda and I, were done to protect you, and your future loved ones, as well as their loved ones. Understand, we've sacrificed much, as you will have to, to move Humanity forward. As you turn the pages of this journal, understand that you will have to shed the sentiment that you are just a small person in this war against the Titans. You are so much more. These accounts are only what you need to know up front, nothing more, nothing less. The rest is things your mother decided were things you could see for yourself._

_Before you begin, know that I love you, your mother loved you, and when I pass ( which I know is a day that will come sooner than later) your mother and I will watch you from above. We are proud of you, and we have you the person you've become, and you are everything we wanted and more. You are better than any son or docile homemaker we could have brought into this world. You have the blood of a noble line of warriors and leaders in you, and it becomes more clear everyday that you are born to lead._

_With Love,_

_Tobias_

Lotti sighed, turning the page.

xXx

She couldn't touch the rest of the journals after she'd finish the first. She was numb, the tears had dried up long ago. Moving stiffly, she put her journals in their hiding place, and shuffled down the hall and stairs to Erwin's office. She waited in the dark, emptiness swallowing her up. She didn't even notice Erwin step in. He looked at her, lighting candles around the room. She was small, but had curled over to make herself seem even smaller in the seat in front of his desk.

"What do you have for me, Lotti?"

Lotti jumped at the sound of her name. She looked with sad eyes at Erwin, scanning his blue ones. His face was neutral, always so neutral. Despite everything that'd happen in his life, which Lotti knew was nothing short of terrible.

"In order for us to move...to beat this thing," she started,"we have to sacrifice our humanity, right?"

Erwin nodded, but let her continue to speak.

"Well, when does it stop? What do you do when you've given up everything?" He scanned her face for a moment before speaking.

"One of two things: you win, or you lay down and die. Your life is the ultimate sacrifice. The people you love, care for, the things that make you happy, your humanity, are all worthwhile things to give away. One must become a monster, devoid of personhood, to battle amongst monsters. When you have nothing to lose, you can die if you need to. If your death isn't necessary, you can destroy the monsters. There's nothing more dangerous,"he leaned forward,"than a creature with nothing to lose. Care about your friends, love your loved ones, but as long as we fight Titans, know they are expendable. They are things that have substitutes and replacements."

Lotti's mouth hung open, shocked that anyone could say such a thing, especially when they were in the field of work they were in. Erwin nodded, then continued speaking.

"I know how it sounds. But look at it from this angle: we are fighting an enemy whose sole evolutionary purpose in this world is to mutilate and destroy us. They have no loyalty, no feelings. They just have the thrill of the hunt, and the taste for human flesh. Now, humans have all the things Titans seem to lack; friends, families, loyalties,and obligations... and what has it gotten them?"

"I'm assuming you read your father's journals?"

"Just one so far."

Silence fell in the office again. Erwin waited patiently, Lotti stared into the flames.

"He was working with Grisha Jäger." she sighed, the weight of everything she read stealing her breath.

"On what?" Lotti looked up from the flames to look in Erwin's eyes. He had a look of distinct curiosity now. He wouldn't push her to speak any faster than she was ready, but she'd piqued his interest.

"They...were looking to make biological weapons. Of the human variety. They did a bunch of human trials, and it killed a lot of people. People thought it was a plague...but it was just them looking for suitable candidates." She paused, looking at Erwin. His eyes were wide, shining in the light,"Dr. Jäger found a way to reverse what he'd done, and he cured everyone. He was ultimately called a savior. My dad wanted to call off human trials...but, behind my dad's back, my mom went and saw Dr. Jäger to get a doubled dose of whatever concoction they'd made." She looked down at the desk, away from Erwin's eyes.

"She did this when she was pregnant. She knew they'd never tried on pregnant women, or small children, and she thought that maybe that was the key. So, she went under treatment in the hopes that my cells would go under the changes needed to have a successful trial. I was born 4 months premature, and the effects of the treatment left her too weak to survive labor. I had to be removed by Dr. Jäger, and it was uncertain whether I'd live or die. I was severely underweight, and I had a weak heart. It was then that my dad found out about the treatments, and he was overcome with grief. He never forgave himself, I don't think, and he spent months waiting for life to become unbearable for me, and for me to eventually die."

"But here you are, alive and one of the most valuable soldiers Humanity has seen," Erwin said, knowing where this was going. Lotti nodded, her skin tingling.

"I got stronger, and my dad hesitantly started training me for the day I'd need to protect myself. He said I took to it immediately, and I was as quick as somebody 3 times my age. I was just as strong too. So he took me out of group training, afraid I'd hurt the other kids, and trained me alone. We worked in the early mornings and late at night. But I have strength and a reaction time that surpasses most people's, not quite superhuman, but far above normal. I'm not quite the super soldier they'd had in mind. But I'm as close as they got, and I'm the best at what I do."

"Can you do anything else?" She nodded, looking out the window. the sky was just starting to turn, and the sun would be out soon.

"Take me to the wall."

xXx

They got there quietly and quickly. It was Erwin, Levi, and Hanji with her.

"What is this Erwin?" Hanji asked, looking at Lotti. she had removed her 3D Maneuver Gear, and given it to Erwin.

"Lotti translated the 1st journal of her late father, and found she has superhuman capabilities that were the result of testing on her mother by Grisha Jäger."

"Grisha Jäger?! Eren's dad?!" Hanji cried, looking between the group.

"It seems Mr. Jäger was a bust man,"Levi quipped, before looking at her,"are you a Titan?" She looked at him, too stressed and upset to feel annoyed.

"As far as what the journal said, no. Just...slightly different. And we don't have a lot of time before the new recruits get here, and patrols start again, so can we begin?" She looked down the wall, as Titans wandered about under the rising sun. She looked at Erwin, waiting for his signal.

"Begin."

Lotti nodded, breathing deeply, and walked towards the edge. She heard Hanji moving to grab her, but Erwin stopped her. They followed closely behind, until Lotti stood at the very edge. She turned to look at them over her shoulder.

Hanji looked terrified, although she was definitely curious to see what would happen next.

Then Lotti just did it. She just...stepped off the edge of the wall. There wasn't much going through her mind as she fell, in fact, the absence of thought made her feel..._good_. Her hair blew above her, and her jacket rippled as she caught speed.

"I'm really doing this," she cried, relaxing as she fell farther and farther from the top of the wall. She looked up, seeing Levi, Hanji, and Erwin watching with a mix of horror and deep interest.

She had about 10 feet left and counting, and she tensed her legs, bracing for impact. A Titan appeared, smiling and fat. She fell against, before falling to ground.

She stumbled, then stood up.

_Kinda glad that guy cushioned my fall. I honestly don't know just how strong I am. That would've been a huge mess._

Lotti chuckled, dusting herself off.

"Are you okay?!" Erwin called, distant, but clear. She raised a hand, giving him the thumbs up. Lotti felt her whole body vibrating with fear and a satisfaction that was unlike anything she'd experience. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and she turned as the earth quaked under the feet of three Titans. She felt the eyes of her superiors on her, waiting for her next move. The Titans bent, sniffing the ground and Lotti. None of them opened their mouths to eat her, just sniffed curiously. Not sensing anything of interest, they moved away, walking off. She stood, shaking as she realized the implications of her gift. Above her, Hanji howled again.

"A camouflage! She's invisible to them!"

xXx

Everyone fully settled into life at the Scouting Legion HQ.

She'd been surprised to see the new recruits, because it was the most unlikely people. She'd never imagine Jean, Sasha, Connie, or Bertholdt to join.

But everyone had been happy to see Lotti and Eren. For a while, it felt like the old days, albeit a lot more fast paced. As they prepared for their expedition to Shiganshina, Lotti didn't have time to read the rest of the journals. She met in the early mornings with Erwin, Levi, and Hanji. In the afternoon she trained, learned more about the evasive maneuver they'd be using to travel to their destination, and hung out with her friends. In the evening, Eren came to her.

She never spoke of her secret meetings, her parents, or of his father to him. Erwin decided there was no use in anyone knowing but them, and Lotti agreed.

So, in a months time, they rode out past the gates of Shiganshina. Lotti wore the cape and patch of the Survey Corps, her hair in a high bun. She rode alongside Hanji and Erwin, towards the front and center. Eir glistened in the sunlight, and she felt eyes from her comrades and from the windows above. To her right, a window opened. It was a boy, about her age, and his sister tried to pull him back in.

"Hey! On the black horse! Beautiful girl!" Erwin, turned his head, as did Lotti, to look. When he saw he'd caught her attention, he smiled.

"You must let me marry you when you return!"

"Seriously?" Levi chided, shaking his head. Erwin shut the boy up, giving everyone the signal to ride through the opening gates. A bunch of flowers, and the water they'd been in, fell beside her. She rode off, smiling at the boy.

Hanji laughed beside her, and they galloped on after the Commander.

"We're on front, so we'll get to the destination first. I've already stationed men in the forest. You'll be with us, so stick close." Lotti nodded, patting her horse as the Reserves killed the Titans on the outside of the wall. They crashed to the ground beside her, but she coaxed Eir to continue riding.

"Kappel," she turned to see Levi. The groups began splitting.

He didn't look like he was going to say anything particularly mean, which surprised her.

"Be careful." Her eyes widened, but she nodded, looking at him and the rest of Squad Levi. Her eyes rested on Petra, who smiled at her.

"You too.


	10. Chapter 10: The Female Titan, Part II

The cannons were in position, and Lotti could hear the thunderous footsteps of the Titan. She was drawing closer, and that meant Levi's squad was leading it here.

"It's coming," Hanji moaned, drooling,"I wonder what it has in store for us." Lotti waited, watching as the men below waited for Erwin's order. She'd known the Titan caused heavy casualties, but there would be no way of knowing what the damage was till Levi reported. The movement got louder, and Lotti was surprised.

"It's fast," she said, worried they may not make it. Hanji patted her head.

"No worries, Lil Levi, your boyfriend will be safe. As will the others. They're the best at their jobs! Look!" She pointed downward, and Lotti looked to see Levi and the squad riding like lightning. All looked terrified, even Levi. Just as fast as they came, there was a head of blonde hair before them. Lotti watched, with widened eyes as the Titan came into full view.

"A female?" she asked.

The Titan had no skin, much like the Colossal Titan. But she had shoulder length blonde hair, and blue eyes. She paused, looking around her. There was a distinct look of fear on her face, and she quickly moved both hands up to cover her nape.

"Fire!" Erwin cried, and the cannons exploded as steel grapple shot into the Titan. Hundreds and hundreds of hook shot out, burying themselves in the bare muscle of the Titan. She made no noise, but she never moved her hands.

"She's protecting her nape," Hanji noted, in awe.

"That one caused us a world of trouble,"Levi said from behind them, looking down at the blonde beast. "The right flank is obliterated. They said she brought a horde of Titans with her. In an open field, their gear was useless. But they bought us time," he said," if they hadn't distracted this big bitch, we wouldn't have made it."

Erwin nodded,"Levi, Lotti, go cut out the traitor." Lotti pulled out her blades, and descended, with Levi. They moved together, slicing at the wrists of the Titan. Instead of the meat giving way, Lotti heard the crack of her blades. She landed on its head, and looked down at its crystalline hands.

"What the fuck?" Levi said from beside her, stomping on the huge head of blonde hair.

"Our blades are ruined. It can harden parts of its body at will. We won't get her out this way," she turned to Erwin,"Commander! What should we do?" He looked down at them, thinking about the next move they'd make. Everyone knew they didn't have a lot of time. Soldiers lay stationed outside the Forest of Giant Trees, to hold back the Titans. But they could only do so much for so long.

Erwin, made a noise, decision made.

"Prepare to blow her arms off." Levi and Lotti nodded, looking down at the Titan. Lotti walked over to see her face, looking below the light blonde bangs. The Female Titan had big, blue eyes. And, even though two hooks pierced them, they looked sullen. It's nose was pronounced, sloping down. Lotti's stare turned to a look of surprise, then fear.

_She almost...looks like..._

Just then, the Titan let out a terrible scream. It was like the shriek of a dying animal, and it shook the forest. She turned on her heels to see Levi.

"What'd you do?!" He shrugged, looking at her.

"I just told her I'd cut her arms and legs off." Lotti stared incredulously, no amount of eye rolling could convey her distaste at the statement. The Female Titan wailed pitifully, thrashing her head as best she could.

"Could you have a little goddamned tact?!" Levi looked up at her, surprised she raised her voice at him, but he didn't say anything. Lotti looked back down at her face, heart racing.

_It couldn't be...she would't have done something like this._

"Hey! HEY! Stop screaming goddammit! Nobody is going to chop your arms or your legs off!" She said, getting down on all fours to look her in the eye. The Titan's screams fell to silence. and she settled. Lotti got up, looking to the soldiers who were preparing the explosives. She turned, preparing to return to her post. As she did so, she felt the earth quaking. she paused, listening. The footsteps were heavy, and there were a ton of them.

"Titans! From all sides!"

Lotti pulled out new blades looking as the Female Titan was surrounded.

_She called them here?_

Lotti expected to hear pained screams, but the Titans completely ignored everyone, focusing solely on the Shifter she stood on top of. They began tearing at her body, ripping the muscle and tendons away. Steam was everywhere, and she felt the heat rising. She realized the Titans answered the Female Titan's death throes, and descended on her at her signal.

She'd called them on purpose. To dispose of evidence.

_She's committing suicide?_

Lotti looked to Erwin, as the rest of the soldiers did. His face was blank as he figured out what to do next.

"Men! Protect the Female Titan at all cost! Protect her with your lives!"

Then the soldiers descended, slashing flesh. She dropped off the Female Titan's shoulder, grappling as she sliced through jaws and necks. They fought as many as they could, but more just kept coming. For every two they killed, four appeared to try to get a taste of the corpse. They'd be overrun soon, and when the body disappeared, the lesser Titans would set their sights on her comrades. Most of the Titan had been eaten anyway. The mission was over.

"Retreat!"

Lotti returned to the branch where Erwin was, as did Hanji and Levi. Everyone stood in the trees, watching as they fed on her. Erwin seemed transfixed.

"We underestimated our enemy," he watched as the Titans totally warmed whatever pieces remained. Thick steam and rolling fog moved through the forest,"She was willing to sacrifice everything to keep her secrets. Ready the horse, we're riding back to Karanese." Lotti turned to go to Eir, who was no doubt shaken up.

"Lotti, Levi. Go refill on gas and blades."

Both were about to speak, but he cut them off.

"It's an order."

They moved off together, and Levi spoke up later.

"The Female Titan is still afoot." Lotti turned, placing new blades into her sheaths.

"How do you know?"

"We watched the Titan body get devoured...but whoever was controlling that big bitch is still loose. I didn't see a person get eaten, did you?"

Lotti shook her head.

"Split up. She's going after Eren. We need to get out of this goddamned forest."

Lotti nodded, going off to the left, and he to the right.

"Be careful...Captain," she called, shooting through the trees. She traveled like that, on edge, for a while. She'd thought she'd recognized the Female Titan, but she couldn't be sure. After all, Eren's Titan form looked almost nothing like him, maybe their faces changed for the sole purpose of hiding their true identity.

Whatever the case, she had to find Eren_ now_. Nobody was safe with this Titan around.

Not too far to her left, she heard a scream she knew was Eren. A flash shot through the sky, and then a roar vibrated across the land.

"Shit! She's too strong for him to take one!"

Lotti went flying at break neck speed, getting closer to the sound. She stopped, seeing Eren, in Titan form.

"Where's the - group," Lotti started asking herself, but paused on the first dead body. Her muscles locked up. They weren't close, but she recognized Gunter, swinging from a branch. She didn't need to get closer to see he'd snapped his neck, one of his grapple wires hanging on the ground.

Eren and the Female Titan fought, moving further away.

She moved forward, afraid of what else she'd find. Erd - or what was left of him - lay in the grass, eyes staring blankly into space. Lotti could feel her muscles tensing further, and tears working their way into her eyes. She scanned the ground, despite knowing she shouldn't. But she was a glutton for punishment. She saw what she'd been looking for, and she felt her heart crumpling into dust.

Petra was splattered against a tree beside her. Her sweet eyes were empty, head tilted back, and blood poured from her nose and mouth. Auruo wasn't to far off, face down in the ground. She dropped from the tree to walk towards the crushed body.

"No," the tears came down hot, and her heart pounded in her ears,"no no no no nonononononono..." She looked down at Petra, staring with those blank, cold eyes. She dropped beside her, a long moan escaping her lips. She brought a hand to cover her mouth as she separated Petra from the wood of the fell back, her uniform and skin ripping from the bark. Evidence she'd been smashed into the tree remained, and the front of her body looked like ground meat. She twitched, but Lotti knew it was convulsions, nothing more. She laid her down, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears. Despite knowing she was long gone, Lotti searched for signs of life. Tears fell, heavy now, and Lotti held back sobs. She looked, her eyes stopped on her destroyed stomach.

The memory of Petra rubbing her belly, glowing with joy and pride overwhelmed her. She lay her hands over Petra's broken body.

"You didn't deserve this!" she cried, shaking the corpse. "None of you did."

The sobs that rocked Lotti's small frame threatened to make her sick, and she knew she had to leave. Eren needed her, but she didn't want to leave Petra, or anyone else to lay there to rot. She rubbed Petra's pulverized stomach, a whine leaving her lips before she wiped her eyes. She ran her hand down Petra's bloody face, closing her eyes.

She grappled back onto the trees, going towards Eren. They moved further ahead, but it was easy to catch up When she came to them, Eren was against a tree, his hands working on healing. The Female Titan had turned to leave, but stopped. She seemed to think about something, resolving herself for what she'd do next She turned on her heel, and took a fighting stance.

Shock and rage jolted through Lotti's body, and she felt new life being breathed into her. The rage was more engulfing than anything she'd experienced at Trost, or in her life. She couldn't even move. Eren's Titan form watched her, with wide eyes, and she knew Eren recognized her just as clearly as she had.

Still frozen, she just watched as the Titan swiped the top of the head of Eren's Titan. It flew clear off, through the air, to land on the ground somewhere behind them. The Female Titan walked forward, moving the muck, to reveal Eren. Lotti felt herself hyperventilating, her heart threatened to burst as The Female Titan closed her mouth around Eren. She didn't swallow him, just ran off at a steady pace.

Lotti was impulsive, but when she was truly enraged, as furious as she was now, she became calculating. She sped after the Female Titan, quietly, faster than she had gone before. Tears flew into the air, but she didn't bother wiping them away, or fight to keep them from falling. She couldn't think past _hurting_ her, causing her as much pain as she could. She'd let her go, this time, but only so she could be there to kill her and throw her over the wall, but a hand pulled her cape, then wrapped itself around her waist.

"Follow her at a safe distance, she's slowing down." Lotti turned. Levi looked down at her, spoke even as ever. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Which direction did you come from?" she asked. He blinked, but spoke.

"Same as you. Eren's screams led me here."

"Why are you so calm?" She asked, pushing him away. He didn't speak, or move, he just stared. She hated him for that. His whole squad was dead, his girlfriend was dead, and he was talking to Lotti like nothing had happened. Rage at the Titan, at Petra's death, at the situation boiled over. She wanted to strangle him.

"Don't you fucking touch me. What the fuck is wrong with you? You're squad is dead! Petra is dead!_ Do you fucking feel anything_?" She said, voice breaking. She turned her back on him, chasing after him. A red scarf shot ahead of her, as Mikasa took her side.

"Mikasa!" She cried, relieved at the idea of help.

"Is Eren with her?" She asked. Lotti nodded, wiping tears away.

"The Special Operations Squad...she killed them. She took doesn't wanna eat him. Her goal is just to kidnap him. We incapacitate her, we get Eren. Don't try to kill her, it's too late for that." Mikasa nodded, and they broke apart. Lotti went up, then skyrocketed down, and around. She sliced everything she could reach on the Female Titan. Mikasa attacked from the other side, doing the same. She shot across, severing her Achilles Tendon, and the Female Titan fell to the ground. Her hand moved to cover her nape

"Give him back!" Mikasa cried, going for her hands. Lotti heard her blades snap, and she zipped across to cut up and down her spine. She grabbed Mikasa by her cape, and threw her in front of the Titan.

"I'll cut this bitch open. Distract her." Mikasa nodded, tensing as she shot out her grapples to balance herself. The Female Titan shot out to hit her, and Lotti danced up her arm, blades sinking in and flaying the muscle, sinking down to bone.

With Mikasa still in front of her, Levi whirled over head, helping them cut away at her. He moved fast, flaying the skin at her arms, her legs, before he finally stabbed her in one of her eyes. Covering her nape, she fell against a tree. Levi sliced at her hand, her arm, and the hand she used to shield her nape fell.

Lotti looked at Mikasa, and she knew she was going to try to kill her.

"Mikasa!" Lotti cried as Mikasa flew to attack her from behind"Don't try to kill her!" Lotti flew across, but Levi grabbed Mikasa. His foot collided with the heavy hand of the Titan, and Lotti heard a bone snap. He retreated to a tree nearby, favoring his injured leg.

Lotti flew from the Female Titan's left, blades drawn. She cut the side of her mouth, entering. Through the spit and muck, she felt Eren's warm body in the blazing heat of the Female Titan's mouth. The Titan's tongue shifted, pushing Lotti's leg against her canine. She opened, then closed. Not enough to destroy the leg, but enough to cause Lotti a sizable amount of damage and pain.

She grabbed Eren, and hit her grapples again, shooting out of where'd she'd come. She ignored the searing pain in her leg, and the warm blood that poured out of her calf. She threw Eren at Mikasa and Levi, whirring around to attack the Titan. She was obviously exhausted and unable to move, not even when Lotti's blades sunk themselves into the corneas of her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, and tears fell from her big eyes.

"Don't cry,"Lotti said calmly, as blood filled her boot,"When I figure out who you are, I'll save you the pain of life as a lab rat. I will find you, and I will stab you in your heart, and then I will push you over the wall so you can be eaten by the Titans you love so much."

Steam engulfed them both. The Titan was silent, tears falling. Lotti laughed, then grappled away, leaving her blades behind. She flew past Levi and Mikasa, heading for her horse.

xXx

Her calf was now bandaged up, but it was obvious she'd be out of serious action for a while. Her hair, wet with Titan span, hung limp, down her back. She got on her horse, with help from Jean.

"What happened in there?" he asked, noticing the tear streaks that stained Lotti's face. Lotti shook her head, caressing his face from her saddle.

"Nothing."

Mikasa put Eren up on a cart of his own, and sat beside his unconscious body. Levi was on his horse. The dead were all wrapped and loaded on a cart beside her.

At some point during the trip back, the ground began to shake, a familiar sign of Titans approaching. Lotti turned, seeing two men riding. On one horse, a man carried a corpse. They rode as fast as they could, and they were catching up...as were the Titans.

Lotti didn't know or care who they were. She had to move if she was going to save them. The Titans were gaining speed, drawing closer.

"What do we do?!They're catching up!" She looked at the men on the rear wagon.

Behind her, the two men fell from their horses after a Titans fist came down before them. The corpse went flying, and the live bodies got picked up. Off to the side, more Titans approached. She patted Eir on her flank, then aimed and shot her grapples into the forehead of a Titan. He'd been busy eating one, but she used him to skyrocket though the air, releasing the hook and then re-aiming it to sink into the neck of the other, taller Titan. She sliced the nape, then pulled the man out of it's grip. Sailing through the air, she dropped him unceremoniously into the wagon, and landed roughly on her horse. Pain jabbed into her, but she ignored it best she could.

She'd saved the guy, but more Titans had come to replace them, and they were a lot faster. Levi had fallen back to give orders.

"Let the bodies go. There's nothing special about any of them anymore,"he said, voice calm. Lotti's eyes met his for a moment, but she turned to look forward. She felt the monster behind her, but she rode on calmly.

"But they're our friends! Their families need to say goodbye! They -" The shadow of the fast approaching Titan cut their conversation off. Lotti took out her blade, and brought it down hard over the hatch that closed the wagon door.

Bodies rolled out, one after the other. Lotti saw a flash of strawberry blonde hair and turned away, picking up speed to match pace with the now lighter wagon. The men in the wagon, as well as Levi, looked at her with wide eyes.

"Our friends sacrificed their lives so that we could live to see another day, not so we would be eaten with their corpses."She rode ahead, ignoring the sound of tearing flesh and gurgling blood behind her.

The gates of Karanese came before them shortly. She had moved away from the back wagon, and Levi, to ride alongside Hanji and Erwin. The procession crept to a creep as the wounded, beaten soldiers trickled through, to stare at the faces of the townspeople. Lotti had never felt such crippling shame or weakness in her life. It threatened to crush her and suck the life out of her every step Eir took forward. Her wound bled again, and stained the coat of her mare. She held her head high, trying to ignore disappointed and pointed remarks from the villagers. A man ran past her, smiling. He stopped just behind her, and she turned. Levi had moved sometime during the ride back home, silently, to walk behind her.

"My daughter, Petra is a member of your squad!"Lotti's breath caught, but she kept her head forward.

"She wrote to me all the time, talked about how she felt honored you chose her for you squad, and that she happily devoted her life to you! She often says these things without regard for her poor father. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say that Petra is too young for marriage. She has her whole life ahead of her, and so many things can happen..." Levi walked on silently, and Lotti tuned it out, feeling hot tears flooding her eyes. Nearby, a man spoke to his friend.

"Well, at least now we know the Military Police will kill that Titan brat. He's obviously of less use than most of the damned soldiers." Blood boiled in her veins, and shock jolted her heart to an irrational rhythm. She'd forgotten this was a trial, a test for Eren.

And this mission failed, with heavy casualties and heavy losses of resources.

_He's as good as dead_, she thought, _they'll kill him...and with my leg like this, I can't do anything to stop them._

She tilted her head back, letting out a shaky sigh. Her vision blurred, and tears spilled over onto her cheeks. She rode on, head high as she thought of Petra and of Eren.

The tears fell as they rode forward, bitter with her shame.


	11. Chapter 11: The Female Titan, Part III

Note: Next few chapters will have very little Lotti action, simply because she's injured. Wouldn't want her dying (_or would we?_). A few chapters will only mention her, although some will cover the LxL angle...maybe. I'll use this time to give the other characters some time to shine. So expect to hear more from Jean (my favorite), Connie, Sasha (my other fave), Christa, Ymir (my number 3 fave [Erwin is number 4, Reiner is number 5...ironically, I actually like Levi very little])

* * *

Immediately after returning to Headquarters, Eren was ordered to appear before Military Court once again.

Armin knew they'd suffered heavy losses, of both troops and resources. On top of that, the Female Titan had gotten away. There was no way they were going to be able to keep Eren with those kind of results, and Armin could understand. It was more political than a strategic move. The people who'd been fighting to give Eren over to the Military Police had not been there to see him fight in Trost, or the new enemy they were dealing with.

However, the number of people who wanted him gone, although they were the minority, controlled very important parts of society in all districts.

So, Eren was to report in two days time, and Armin could feel an air of grief and tense anticipation settle over everyone.

As the evening settled on them, Armin's mind was fast at work. He'd seen the Female Titan up close several times, and he was trying to piece the puzzle together. He'd been told by the other's that the Female Titan was probably the same person who'd killed the Titans that Hanji had been keeping for experiments.

He'd had a hunch, but he didn't want to announce it to everyone until he was one-hundred percent certain.

And in order to do that, he'd need to talk to three people who'd seen her: Eren, Mikasa, and Lotti. He originally planned to question Levi as well, but thought better of it. Although he helped fight the Titan and save Eren, he wouldn't have the knowledge he needed.

The girls were the ones he wanted to talk to first. He walked up to the second floor, where the women slept. At the end of the hall was Lotti, and Mikasa was a few doors across. He walked down to Lotti's room, knocking on a few times. She didn't respond right away, but Armin could hear her moving around in the room. After a minute, she opened the door.

Her hair was messy, and she had a crutch under each arm. He'd seen the bite she'd gotten from the Female Titan. She'd walk again, but it'd be awhile before she could fight again.

He tried not to stare at her wrapped leg, or her crutches. Her face was puffy, and it'd been obvious she'd been crying.

"What's up?" she asked, smiling half-heartedly.

He smiled back, scratching his head.

"I was gonna wait till we got to Mikasa's room, do you feel like talking?" She thought about, looking at the ceiling then back at him.

"I don't see why not. What's it about?" She asked as she moved past him towards Mikasa's room. Armin followed, moving to beat her to the door. He rapped his knuckles on the door, and Mikasa opened it immediately.

"Hey," she said, looking between the both of them. Lotti waved, her hand moving in a single arch before dropping it.

"Armin wants to talk, can we come in?"

Mikasa nodded, moving to let them through her door.

"Close the door, please," he asked, sitting at Mikasa's desk. Lotti propped her crutches up on the wall, hopping onto her dresser. Armin saw her wince when her calf hit the hard surface, but other than that she didn't complain.

Mikasa sat on the bed, and the two girls looked at him expectantly.

"I've been thinking about something. And it may save Eren if I'm right about it. But, I have a hunch about who the Female Titan is. I wanted to talk to you two about it, because you were both there up close with it." Lotti looked between him and Mikasa, quiet.

"So was Captiain Levi," Mikasa pointed out.

Armin shook his head.

"Captain Levi wouldn't know anybody in our class well enough."

"Are you saying it's somebody we graduated with?" Mikasa glanced at Lotti, and Lotti looked back. He thought they were offended. He spoke quickly to make his point, he didn't want them getting the wrong idea.

"Yeah, I am. It started when-" Lotti waved her hand, interrupting Armin. She sighed, scratching her head. She hopped down from the dresser, grabbing her crutches. Mikasa rose to go out the door.

"Armin, we already had this conversation without you. If we're all on the same page, we need to go talk to the Commander." Mikasa said, Lotti hobbled up to him.

"Wait? Who do _you_ guys think it is?" He asked. Lotti looked at the open door, then him. She didn't speak, just mouthed a name. Armin nodded vigorously.

"Go get the Commander, tell him everything, then meet us in the Dining Hall." Lotti called over her shoulder.

xXx

Armin told the Commander, who in turn told Levi to meet them in the dining hall after he brought Eren. The group came together shortly, with Levi and Eren moving in last. Mikasa and Lotti sat at the edge of the table together with Armin, and Erwin stood at the table's head. He'd brought Hanji.

Levi sat, rubbed his leg subconsciously.

Armin looked at everyone in the room, then at Eren as he stood.

"What's this all about?" he asked, confused. Armin sighed, thinking of how to put his words. He glanced at the two girls who sat beside him. They nodded, quietly urging him to speak. He closed his eyes, exhaling again.

"We know who the Female Titan is." Eren's eyes widened, and he looked around the room. Armin kept going.

"When we were riding into the forest, the Female Titan knocked me off my horse. She could have killed me just as easily as she'd done the others, but she didn't. When I flew off of my horse, my hood fell over my head," he looked around the room,"she stopped to pull it off my face- to see who I was. She was looking for you, and she was reluctant to kill anybody with the hood over their heads. That's how Jean, Reiner, and I got away. But here's the thing: even though we'd covered out faces initially, of course she'd eventually found out we weren't you. She didn't kill us though, even though she had n trouble squashing everyone else. She'd only moved to hurt Lotti to keep her from moving Eren out of her mouth, and Mikasa when she tried to strike her nape. So...why spare us, but not anybody else?" he said, looking intently at Eren. He watched Eren's mind working, putting it together. When he'd figured it out, he looked up at them again.

"She knows us."

"Exactly. So then I tried remembering the Titan's characteristics. Even though yours doesn't look exactly like you, it still has the dark hair and green eyes. I figured the Titan would also look slightly different from whoever was controlling it, but if we're just going off hair and eyes... along with the fact she obviously knew people in our class...her identity is pretty obvious." The room was silent. Eren began shaking, but shook his head

"Well, who is it?" The question echoed of the walls. His voice trembled and he looked at Armin and the girls. Mikasa's voice rang clear.

"Annie Leonhart."

The three kids watched Eren as he balked in shock. To an extent, they all knew that he knew it was true. He shook his head again, and gave his best look of disbelief.

"That's not possible you guys, Annie wouldn't do something like that!"

"How isn't it possible, Eren?" Mikasa asked, narrowing her eyes."Annie was there, just like the rest of us, when the Commander told us that he was taking you outside the Walls to Shiganshina."

"He baited them. If you think about it, it'd be the perfect time to capture you. As far as everyone knew, the Scouting Legion's only gol was to take you to Shiganshina. The recruits who joined the Scouting Legion, as well as some of the soldiers, were kept in the dark to make sure the plan didn't go bad. Sure enough, the Female Titan showed up looking for you. Everyone who was with us was accounted for, which means it'd _have_ to be somebody from the 104th Trainees who had not joined the Survey Corps," Lotti said.

"And, I think she also killed the Titans Hanji had captured," Armin continued.

"How? They checked everyone's gear!" Eren cried.

"Annie didn't have her gear at the check,"Armin said,"because she had Marco's." He sat down, continuing.

"When we had the inspection, I recognized his 3D Maneuver Gear because I'd helped him repair it. It'd been in pretty rough shape, and Annie presented it to the Captain. I told myself it wasn't true, I didn't want to believe it either, but it all fits too well to be coincidence."

"What's Marco got to do with this?"

"I don't know. But, what I do know is that she had his gear."

Eren just kept shaking his head, and Armin felt Mikasa tense next to him. She was becoming more annoyed by the minute. She was usually patient with Eren, they all were, but this was another situation entirely.

"Annie resembles the Female Titan almost exactly: they have the same eyes, the same nose, the same hair. Lotti saw something to further prove it, and you know what it is, because you saw it too." Eren looked up at Mikasa, then Lotti.

Lotti was uncharacteristically quiet, and everyone could see it. They figured it just had to do something with her leg, and what had happened today, so they left her alone. She spoke quietly.

"Think about Eren. When you were fighting the Female Titan, I saw you pause. Your face was totally shocked. She was turning to leave, the girl had given up, but then she changed her mind about it. You saw what she did, and I know you saw it, right before she knocked your head clean off your shoulders."

Erwin, Hanji, and Levi looked between the three teens and Eren. Everyone waited for Eren's reply, but it never came. Lotti sighed, massaging her temple. Her head hurt, her leg hurt, and all she could think about was Petra and the fact one of her friends was a murderer.

Eren was pissing her off. He was pissing Mikasa off. Even Armin seemed agitated.

"She was our friend too, you know. She was everyone's friend. We all trained together, we lived together for years. But, your feelings are stopping you from seeing that she's a murderer, and she is a traitor," Mikasa said. The three older soldiers looked to Eren again.

He could see what they were saying made sense. It was believable, on a level he knew it was true.

But Annie was still their friend. He could see it being true, but he couldn't wrap his head around it. He didn't want to.

"What did you see, Eren?" Erwin asked, looking at him. His friends didn't trust him to answer truthfully, so Mikasa did.

"She has a unique fighting style. She was the only one who used it, although she'd taught it to Eren." Eren sat down in a seat, head between his hands.

"What if she's not the Titan?" he asked.

"If she's innocent, then nothing happens. If she is..."

"Then you'll be safe. Either way, we're going to capture the Female Titan, and we're gonna keep you out of the Military Police's grip," Armin said. Eren thought about it, and reluctantly nodded.

"So, how are we gonna do this?"


	12. Chapter 12: The Female Titan, Part IV

Note: Hey you guys! I just wanted let you know I appreciate all reviews and messages I get. Also: I was looking at my reviews, and somebody was cussing the last person out for criticizing me, so I deleted it. Like...don't do that. It's a story, everybody has the right to an opinion. Be cool you guys. Anyway, enjoy :3

**Added:** Don't antagonize the other reviewers either. Like I said, people are entitled to voice their opinions without you giving them crap.

* * *

The Scouting Legion went single file down as they rode in carriages toward Military base.

Mikasa watched, a plain cloak pulled low of her face. The new recruits for the Military Police were directing them to Court, which means Annie would be easy to find.

She scanned the roofs above the moving carriages where her friends were, then looked on the ground. Left to right, then back again.

Armin turned his head,only turned slightly. This was a silent way for him to ask if she'd spotted Annie. if yes, one cough; no, two coughs. She waited before responding. Up above them, the sound of grapple hooks went of. Mikasa looked directly above them, making sure Annie saw her and knew who she was. Then she coughed twice.

Annie stood on a building in front of them, this time looking at Armin. He looked up, then took a sharp left to go behind the house where Annie stood. She hesitated, but followed.

Mikasa slowed her pace. She turned to look into an alley beside her, ducking into it. Eren stood to the left.

"Come on, Armin is with Annie now."

She grabbed him, walking back to the mouth of the alley. The carriages had made it pretty far down the street, so they didn't have to tiptoe around anymore.

"I can walk by myself," Eren hissed, snatching his hand away. She turned to look, but said nothing.

Sometimes, it pissed Mikasa off when Eren did things like this, even the little actions. Other times, it hurt her. Everybody knew that the only reason Eren made it out without a black eye or broken bones as a kids was because of Mikasa. When they entered training, it was her and Lotti who kept him out of too much trouble. With Lotti injured, it'd be just her.

And probably forever. She doubted Lotti would last long with her leg the way it was. She was fast, and she was strong, but that bite from the Female Titan would take a long time to heal. After healing, rehabilitation. She'd be a burden if she stayed, as much as Mikasa hated to say it. She was nice, and she didn't expect a deep bonding friendship from her. While they were polite to one another, friendly even, both understood their priorities were to Eren and themselves.

And she could respect that. They worked well together. But she was a liability now. To herself and to Eren.

But she knew how Eren felt about Lotti, and she knew Eren was the only family she had, so she would keep protecting him. Even if he snapped at hurt, hurt her feelings. Eren was too impulsive to protect himself, so she'd do it for him.

They walked towards Armin's voice, as he pleaded with Annie to escort them to the underground tunnels. Most of them had been sealed, but only the entrances to the underground cities. It took many men to go (quietly) and remove the rocks and sludge that blocked it off, but it was done. There were men stationed in the ruins for the capture of the Female Titan now.

Armin returned from the hidden corner where him and Annie spoke, with Annie following.

"She'll take us!" He said happily. Mikasa smiled tightly, looking to Annie. the sun caught a glimmer on her finger, and Mikasa noticed a ring on her finger that had not been there before. She still smiled, saying nothing. Eren sighed happily behind her, and Mikasa turned to see his forced smile.

"Well, what are waiting for?! Let's get the hell out of here!"

xXx

Jean was nervous, although he knew no harm would come to him.

Not from the Military Police, anyway.

He looked out the carriage window, sighing.

"What are you so scared for?" Lotti asked"You're not _really_ the one on the chopping block." Jean looked up at her, then out the window

"Can you really believe she's the Female Titan?" he asked. He looked at his guard with a smile.

He'd always thought Lotti was kind of cute, even if her eyes were weird and she had all those freckles. And he liked freckles, but she had a lot. Like somebody spilled pepper on her and it just stuck. But she was nice, level-headed. Everybody talked like she could do better than #6 - a lot of people said she was better than Mikasa, but Jean didn't really see it. At most, he thought they would tie for #1...maybe. People talked about her 50-Titan kill at Trost...but Mikasa killed 50 too.

They were equals in battle as far as he was concerned.

Even though everybody said she was their best, they also knew she only worked half as hard to make sure Eren was in the top 10.

It annoyed him at first, that she didn't try so Eren could succeed. And on top of that, Mikasa excelled to make sure she could follow Eren around like a lost puppy everywhere he went.

He didn't understand the attraction, it was weird.

_Even Armin trails behind him like a dog. At least they were childhood friends, Lotti is just the girlfriend. She's here after Eren. A bad decision if you ask me._

Not that his opinion mattered, because he knew Lotti didn't really like him anyway. She thought he was rude, and that he couldn't control his mouth..

"I'd be more surprised if she weren't." She mumbled, arms crossed as she sat in boyish trousers and crisp white shirt. Jean kind of laughed, rubbing his wigged head. The fact she was holding conversation gave him pause. The only time she really talked to him was when something was wrong.

He looked out the window, towards the wall. The Female Titan had caused so much damage the first time around, he doubted she'd be an easy target. Even he'd suspected it was Annie. The faces were the same. she was smart enough to know that it wouldn't take long to figure out who it was, especially when her features were so pronounced. nobody wanted to believe it, but it made sense.

And, given that this whole situation was totally crazy, you just kind of came to believe the first thing you heard.

"I really hope they get her to go into the ruins."

As he said that, there was a flash of lightning, and then a sickening crack. The carriages stopped, and he heard men running out of them. He looked out the window again, to see the Female Titan.

Shit, they couldn't get her underground!

"She's running for the wall!"

He jumped out of the carriage. A man, from the Military Police tried to hold him.

"Stop it right there Jäger! Back in the carriage!" Jean narrowed his eyes at him, pulling off his wig.

"I look nothing like that prick, you idiot! Move outta my way!" He pushed past him, running to Commander Erwin.

"Commander! Request to reinforce!" Erwin looked at him, nodding.

"Go!" Jean grappled off. He was afraid, though not for himself.

As the Titan toppled the first of the building in Sina, he knew more heavy casualties would come. He knew both soldiers and civilians would die. Memories of Trost ran through his head, ending with Marco's eaten body. His frowned deepened and he went faster. He vowed that not another one of his friends would die like MArco did, and that he'd die before he let the Female Titan hurt anyone he cared about.

_But can we really even catch her? _he thought, he followed the sound of devastation.

xXx

Erwin got out after the sound of transformation. Levi followed, and the two looked up at the smoke that had appeared. He could hear the townspeople murmuring around him, staring curiously at the steam. Niles and his men stood, shell-shocked.

"What a mess," Levi said, voice cool. Erwin turned to Chief Dawk immediately. If there was a transformation above ground, it meant the attempt to capture Leonhart underground had failed. They needed the reinforcements and soon, otherwise she'd wipe his men and the town out. She was desperate, and she was more dangerous now than ever.

"Niles...you need to send as many men as you can to check it out. Act quickly, assume a Titan has appeared." Niles whipped his head to stare at him, eyes bulging.

"This is the inner most wall! No Titans can appear here!"

He said this more to reassure himself than to state fact. Erwin and Levi just looked at him, watching his face shifted from disbelief to fear.

"Erwin...what is this? What are you trying to do?"

Erwin regarded the question, but did not answer. He felt Levi watching on, and knew he wanted to be in the action. Although he would never voice it, he held deep regret over the losses in the Forest. He not only wanted to protect the living soldiers, but exact revenge for his fallen ones. He turned to see Kappel lifting herself to sit on top of the carriage.

Two of his best were wounded, and he doubted one would even be half as useful as they'd been. They didn't know the extent of her powers, but super healing was definitely not one of them.

Part of him thought the only power she had was that camouflage, and that was useless against a Titan Shifter. Intelligent Titans had a thought process and differentiation between targets. There was a human in there, after all. If a Shifter meant to attack her, it would. She'd be safe from regular Titans, even Deviants...but that was it.

It was a disappointment, especially after she'd proven herself at Trost and beyond the wall.

Only time would tell, however.

Another crackling explosion occurred, and a roar vibrated the Earth. People were screaming now, not to far from where the convoy stood.

Dawk and his men looked around, shocked as the sound of crumbling buildings and carnage swirled around them. Erwin turned to walk to Kappel's carraige.

"Kappel!" She spun to look down as Erwin got inside. He saw Levi look up at her as well.

"Sir!"

"Take us to the Wall...and move quickly."

"Sir!" they felt her scoot from the roof to grab the reigns. There was a loud whip, and the horses went running full speed. They sat in silence, as Eren and the Female Type bellowed and brought Sina to ruin. The ride was a jumpy one, and they passed the toppled Church where the Wall Priests practically lived. They felt the carriage pick up speed, flying around tight corners. Surprisingly, they remained undamaged.

"How did you know she even knew how to drive one of these?" Levi said, the carriage shaking violently as they moved through the town. Erwin glanced at the dead bodies and broken buildings, not replying.

"I didn't. But I know neither of us do. At least now I know we have a getaway driver should the Capitol want to arrest us for treason." Lotti snorted at that, and the pair was quiet again. In his window he could see they were close to the wall, and his men were piled on top of the Female Titan.

"Get close and stop the carriage!" there was an abrupt brake, and the carriage body whipped hard towards the group, and the carriage stopped close to the working men. Eren held the body down, and the soldiers of the Survey Corps cut away at her nape.

Soon, Annie emerged, covered in the muscle of her Titan form. He watched, Levi getting out to stand next to him. Eren ejected himself from his Titan body, and Arlert collected him.

Then, there was a flash, and Erwin thought she'd transformed again. Levi moved to stand in front him and shield him from the steam, but none came.

When everyone's eyes adjusted to the brightness, they looked at a huge crystal. It sparkled in the light, iridescent and unlike anything Erwin had seen. Kappel gasped above him, turning to look at the wall.

He forced his eyes to further adjust, and saw Annies human body encased inside the crystal. The men worked to break her out, before Hanji intervened. The stone, whatever it was, was unable to be cracked. Upon Hanji's order, the men began working a net around her.

Levi turned to his Commander.

"Erwin, what does this mean now?"

He kept a cool exterior, but Erwin was infuriated. Only his twitching brow gave away his feelings of frustration and anger.

_We've got her, and she does this...this leaves so many unanswered questions. We're fighting blind, I'm tired of not knowing the full extent of our enemies power. With the death toll and the extent of the damage done to the city...is there anything we can do to-_

"Commander," Kappel interrupted,"_look_." She pointed up to the wall. He and Levi did as she said. Next to them, a wave of fear and exclamations went through the soldiers as they did the same. Even Eren stirred to look above.

Levi tensed up again, his shoulders bunching. Erwin's eyes widened, and he could feel his pulse begin to race.

Ackerman stood on the wall, staring into the hole made undoubtedly by the Female Titan upon her attempt to escape. The hole was a problem, but it was what was _inside_ the wall that made Erwin's pulse jump and his blood run cold.

Although it was not fully exposed, there was enough of it visible to understand that it'd been living under the wall for quite some time.

Everyone froze, terror sinking into their bones as they watched the exposed eye of the Titan widen in the light of the sun.


	13. Chapter 13 : Nothing Lasts, Pt I

AN: The beginning of a few new developments. Enjoy!

* * *

They stood in front of Annie's glittering shell, all staring. The room was silent, and the four soldiers made no move to change that. Lotti was told to come down by Levi, and she didn't really understand why. She'd known who the Titan had been, and she didn't really want to see Annie again. Thinking about it made her want to throw up. Of course, Levi just needed a reason to be near her. Connie stood behind them, with Hanji.

There'd been no talk of what happened at the wall, not yet. Two surreal events happened, and could only be dealt with one at a time. Now that Lotti was close enough to Annie, she could see the sad smile on her face. A tear remained frozen in the crystal. There was a swirl of emotions inside of her, but she was too tired and too sore to try and decipher them.

"You two," Levi said. She turned, and saw he was not talking to her.

"Leave us." They nodded, quickly glancing at Lotti before heading for the stairs. She turned back to focus on the crystal in front of them, staring into her reflection. she was too tired for annoying games, and seeing him honestly made her sick. He lost his whole quad and was as calm as ever. It was like Squad Levi had gone on a vacation. she sighed loudly, irritation making her head throb. He didn't speak, not right away. In the hard cocoon, she saw his reflection beside her. The firelight of the torches crackled quietly behind them, as Levi stared with hard eyes at Annie.

"Who are you?" he asked, still looking at the girl in her shell. Lotti looked at him and raised her brow. He didn't turn to look at her, just awaited her reply.

"What do you mean?"

"When you are alone, who are you? What kind of person are you?" his words bounced off of the vast room, echoing down the corridor. Lotti, genuinely confused now, just looked. He spared her a sideways glance for a moment before staring back at the crystalline cocoon.

"I didn't expect an answer. You, Kappel, are nothing." Lotti flinched, her defenses flaring up instantly. He seemed to be oblivious, or just didn't care, as he spoke right over her.

"When you take away Eren, your enhancement, your father…. what do you have?" he looked at her out of the side of her eye, smirking when she did not reply.

"You, Kappel, are shallow. You get by on lacking the depth you need as a true and functioning addition to this group, because you've been told it's acceptable." Lotti stood beside him, shocked. She didn't understand what brought this on, or why. But what she did know was that she was going to put a stop to it.

"Oh please! You don't even have room to talk about lacking depth. You have no real emotions, unless it's annoying me! You're whole squad gets killed, Petra gets-"

"You're proving my point, you know." He turned to her, eyes narrowed to slits. Lotti took a step back, a little frightened by the look in his eyes. Annie seemed to be listening intently, and his words hung in the air heavily.

"You think you know so much. Your father and that damned doctor, as well as Pixis, are the reason you've made it thus far...not your real ability. You get some friends and a lot of biased backing from Pixis and suddenly you're the Messiah. You're told you're perfect, the best, and you believed it. I'd like to point out that you, the so called 'best fighter', are now hobbling around this headquarters. Ackerman, who ranked #1 in your class, remains uninjured and able to be of use. You've been reduced to a carriage driver." He scanned her shocked face. Unbeknownst to him, he'd gotten in her face, and his voice lowered to a volatile hiss. Lotti's lips had curled into a hard, thin line. The color drained out of her face, but he saw the anger pulsing as obvious as any throbbing vein.

"You look at me, or any your comrades, and you have such a smarmy look on your face. For example, it was me who weakened the Female titan enough for you to save Eren. You could have just sliced at the jaw, and he would have fallen out into your arms. Yet, you cut a hole into the still-operating mouth of an _intelligent_ Titan. Our best warrior would have regarded her as an enemy, whether she could move her limbs was of no importance. But you intentionally put yourself in harms way, maybe even let yourself get injured…to prove to everyone you really were strong, really were the best." he snorted, ignoring Lotti's quaking body.

"You're friends like you, sure. But you are no better than any of them, at all. They, as well as everyone else, understand the fear and the realities of fighting this fight. You, however, see it as a game. The danger is real, but not to you. You see yourself as a savior, not food…and that's the problem. Death, despite being the reason you're orphaned and the sole reason you were even put into the Military, is a far away concept for you. You could have been of use to Squad Levi, but I left you with Hanji, and out of the main danger. And do you know why I left one you with Hanji?"

Lotti was silent.

"Because you are so wrapped up in what you can do and how great you are, you'd leave your own comrades to be eaten to chase the Big Kill. Then, you'd cry out of guilt that you 'couldn't save everyone'. This is not some fairytale where you have all the magical gifts. We don't need constant saving. We work as a team, not as your damsels. Play time was over for everyone but you the moment the Colossal Titan appeared. You may have told yourself you're level-headed, or nice. Maybe even Petra consigned this. But Petra said that about everyone, including myself. You are none of these things. You look down at me, maybe you think I'm attracted to you. But you do not see me or anyone else as a superior. Everyone is an obstacle, or a thing that revolves purely around you and your feelings."

"I've seen the way you look at me!" She snapped, puffing her chest up. She was enraged, furious. Nobody was going to talk to her like this. Levi raised his brow, but let her speak.

"Even when we first met, you look at me the way you do. Then you get me that goddamn horse! If I'm so vain and so goddamned shallow to you, why do you look at me that way?!" Lotti's heart was racing, and she was pissed.

_He had the nerve -_

The laugh that emitted from Levi started out as a low chuckle, before turning into a loud and mocking guffaw.

"I was already in the dungeon when you came to see Eren, just to see whether or not you'd follow a direct order. Petra and Hanji were aware as well. I picked the horse because your file said you aren't good with animals. That horse is one of the most docile and submissive ones in the bunch. I just told you she was stubborn. And sure enough, you believed it, thinking your magical powers tamed her into instantly loving you. Now, I will admit, you are easy to look at. But it extends no further than a desire to bed you. You're over ten years my junior, what do you have to offer to me other than what's between your legs? Good conversation?" He cackled, stepping back to look at her.

"My whole point is that you interpret and see things solely as what you want them to be, what keeps your ego fired. I look at your hair, or your legs a few times, and suddenly I'm in love with you. Whatever feelings you have for Eren are now turned to trying to make me jealous. Petty, childish things. I breathe and you get upset, it's as sad as it is funny for me. I bet you thought I beat Eren the way I did in court to spite you. Your father's journal grants you some expire mental powers, and you showboat them in our faces. And now you can't even use them! Do you know when we took you to the wall, I was given specific orders to kill you?"

Lotti's eyes widened, and her mouth opened and close like a fish. He chuckled, crossing his arms. His leg throbbed but he paid no heed. He wasn't done with her.

"We can only have one Titan at a time. Finding another one in our midsts would not bode well for us. We thought you could transform, but it turns out you were just given a camouflage that aids in your self-centered attitude. You boasted your 'Titan-killing prowess' in court, compared yourself to Ackerman, and there is talk of comparing yourself to me. For what? How are we to gauge your true abilities if you've never really had to work to save yourself before? You breeze through Titans, which is a good thing to some, but it's all crap in my eyes. The most work you've ever done in your little life, was with this girl," he motioned to Annie,"and what happens? You get so caught up in chasing some pity and respect that you get maimed. You hobble around proudly on your crutches like you accomplished something, when in reality, that injury pushes you and the rest of the team back. The others may have died, but at least they died a soldier's death."

He leaned over, getting into her face. She recoiled, but he grabbed her head, and knotted his fingers in her hair.

"Nothing lasts, Kappel, good or bad. Be careful. And, until you truly know the fear of a beast whose only purpose is to kill you, the only talent I can vouch for is the vigor you have when there's a dick inside of you." He let her hair go, moving away from her. He was done, and didn't care to talk with her anymore.

She didn't have much to say that he wanted to hear anyway.

"Do not ever tell me I do not care about my men again. Because, despite what your ego tells you, I saw them more as people than you ever did." He walked towards the steps, ignoring the burn in his leg. There was only silence behind him. Maybe he'd been to hard on her, maybe not. Maybe he meant everything he'd said, maybe he didn't.

It didn't matter if he meant it, or if it was harsh, because saying it made him feel better. She'd judged him, thought herself superior for shedding tears. She reduced his squad to a tool to brow beat him, and he wouldn't have it. He'd waited, until he could speak with her alone. And, in front of the quarry his squad died bring down, it seemed right. Poetic in some twisted way.

He was satisfied. In his minds eye, he saw his team, alive and well. If they'd been here, they'd probably scold him. Petra probably would chew him out.

But none of them were here, and he was alone.

And that's what mattered now.


End file.
